A Thousand Lost Forevers
by carrie4angel
Summary: AU Senior Year in McKinley, Will Schuester believes that at last the Glee Club will unite to take the national title, however will the actions of one member tear the club apart?Rating may change for later chapters Canon up to end of Season 2
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : I do not own Glee. If I did there would be at least one Puckleberry Duet each season and Rachel would never have agreed to marry Finn. **

**A.N. This is my first time publishing a Glee story and I'm a bit nervous, so feel free to review it and tell me what you like and don't like. Thanks for taking the time to read this :)**

It was one of those days that made Will question his decision to remain as a teacher. Emma was acting strangely around him, Mr Figgins wanted to know how his drinking issues were and Sue had been appearing out of thin air at random moments throughout the day, more determined than ever to "destroy the Glee Club".

Will was in fact heading to the choir room hoping that the kids would be able to turn around his mood. It was only the second week back and he was determined to recruit new members to the club, if only so his seniors had the best chance possible to reach Nationals and place higher than twelfth. He had been so happy at the way the kids seemed to have bonded over the summer, old grudges had been worked on, and new friendships seemed to have been formed some more surprising than others. Case in point was Santana and Rachel who had spend the last week causing major shock waves through the social hierarchy of McKinley, not only had they talked openly but they now sat beside on another in their two shared classes, at one point Santana was braiding Rachel's hair!

Although Rachel seemed to have calmed somewhat over the summer months, Will was sure that while New York was still her ultimate goal she was less likely to send any potential rivals to a crack house. Though perhaps Santana might suggest a less obvious way of dealing with the competition, so Will was keeping an eye on the two girls and not have Figgins finding a reason to suspend the club. The more he thought about it the more he realised that Rachel had changed over the summer. She had arrived to the first glee meeting with two cases of sheet music, suggestions for "what will guarantee our victory at Nationals this year."

Her use of '_our' _and not '_my'_ should have been his first clue, but upon further inspection of the first few song selections he realised they were all for other people in the club; solos,duets and group numbers that would highlight the talents of other club members. Rachel had also included places were Mike and Brittany's dance expertise could be used, and there were notes from Kurt about possible costumes that would be suitable.

Will remembered when he had questioned Rachel about these extra details she had just said that other people were applying to school and this could help improve their chances of getting out of Lima.

"Obviously Mr Schue I think we should continue with writing original songs, we have some amazing musicians in our midst and even if we don't use them for competitions it will help with portfolios for college applications." Rachel was clearly only getting started so Will held up his hand, thanked her for thinking of the other seniors and said that they could set up a meeting to discuss her ideas further. At that point both Santana and Kurt had rolled their eyes and both started to speak.

"One at a time please," Will interjected.

"Look Mr Schue Rachel has worked really hard on these proposals and this is only a small selection of her ideas, in fact she has a file dedicated to every senior in Glee so don't dismiss her. In case you haven't noticed the only one not featured is Rachel herself." Kurt spoke quietly but with an egde to his voice, willing the teacher to argue with him.

Will took a deep breath and let his eyes sweep around the room trying to find a way to avoid any further arguements. It was only then that he noticed the hurt look on Rachel's face so he spoke quickly to assure his high maintenance student that he just wanted time to study her plans before discussing them in detail. As she seemed to accept that his words were not a dismissal she visabily relaxed and a small smile appeared on her face. Will tried to wrap up the meeting then, asking them to prepare a list for the next session of songs they would like to preform and to try and find a time that would suit those interested in song writing. Lastly he asked if anyone had anything prepared and was surprised again when Rachel didn't jump up, so he turned to find his male lead noticing for the first time the seating arrangements.

Rachel was sitting in the middle row with Kurt and Santana either side of her, Brittnay was on the first row beside Artie but had her chair turned slightly so she was close to Santana. Mike and Tina were on the last row beside Puck who was sitting behind Rachel, and for a second Will thought he was rubbing her shoulders but his attention was drawn to Sam and Mercedes who were holding hands as they sat talking to Quinn on the front row. Finn was on the back row beside Lauren not really talking to anyone with his trademark confused look on his face, though what he was confused about Will wasn't sure. Clearly he wasn't about to sing, so Will decided to call it a day and listened as the group made plans to have coffee, Kurt squealing happily as Blaine text to confirm his attendance. He did notice that Finn and Rachel made no effort to move closer together and then decided he was spending too much time paying attention to his students personal lives.

"Hey Mr Schue," Will turned to see Quinn in the doorway, "don't forget those files, it would be a shame to ignore them" and with that the former head cheerleader flounced out of the room.

Will was dragged out of his musings by the unmistakeable sound of Santana Lopez's raised voice as she swore angrily in Spanish, so he rushed to the choir room ready to try and calm the Latino girl. Nothing however could have prepared him for the chaos that greeted him as he threw the door open.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer : I do not own Glee, if I did then Mark Salling would have more to do each episode.**

**A.N. I just want to thank everybody who took the time to read/review the first chapter and a big thanks to the people who added this story to their subscription/favourite lists. It means so much to me and hopefully ye will all like this next chapter. **

In the two years since he had taken charge of the Glee Club, Will had witnessed many arguements between its members. Cruel words that had been spoken carelessly, the punch up between Finn and Puck following 'Babygate' and Santana's epic rant after they failed to make it to the last round of Nationals last year.

At first glance it looked to Will as if Santana was screaming at Quinn and although he was the school's Spanish teacher he was having a difficult time understanding why exactly Quinn was being called a _selfish thoughtless manwhore_. Noticing that Puck was in close proximity to both girls Will decided then that the comments were being aimed at the self proclaimed sex shark, no doubt his notorious past had once more caught up with the teen. As Puck was actually trying to put some distance between Santana and Quinn the teacher realised that his theory did not fit the scene in front of him.

A flash of movement to his left drew Will's attention to Rachel sitting on the floor, tears flowing freely down her face as she muttered to herself and appeared to be rocking erratically. Kurt was hunched down beside her trying to offer words of comfort which went unheard by the small girl.

"Guys, guys." Will called out, trying to make himself heard over the noise that was only increasing in the room. Tina stepped away from Mike who it seemed had been restraining her, moving past Puck who was still struggling with Santana even with help from Artie and Brittany. Looking around to see where everyone else was, Will flinched as the unmistakable sound of a hand making contact with a face rang out. In shock he watched Tina raise her hand again, but wait was that _Finn_ who was the proud owner of Tina's handprint and who was, even now trying to get away from the angry girl?

Again Will tried to intervene, stepping towards Finn who was being boxed into a corner by Tina who was acting like a hunter stalking her prey. A hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks as he saw the three remaining members of his club. Mercedes handed him a whistle before going to her fellow diva offering Rachel a bottle of water. Sam moved towards Tina all the time looking to Mike for guidance on how to best stall the girl in her attempts to hit Finn again. Looking between Mike and Sam, Finn plead silently for help but when the boys stepped in between Tina and Finn to prevent further violence, they did not let him out past them.

"Hey Schue how bout you blow that whistle and see if you can call a time out? I mean it's very entertaining but I don't think that Finn will make it out alive if this goes on much longer." Lauren advised a now shell shocked Will, who made no effort to follow her suggestion, so the girl moved closer grabbed the whistle and blew. The shrill noise it emitted was loud enough to break through the noise in the choir room for the first time since the director had opened the door.

Taking a deep breath Will tried to assess the room, trying to figure out what his first move should be as he doubted that this temporary ceasefire would last as already he could see Santana prepare herself for her next verbal attack.

"Okay everybody take a deep breath. Santana, Puck, Quinn move to the piano please. Tina step away from Finn and take a seat. Sam you can let Finn out past you." At that request the blonde football player looked sadly at his apologetically at his teacher before moving closer to the gangly teen.

"Sam," Will began only to be interupted by Mike.

"Sorry Mr S but the only way Tina will move is if myself and Sam keep Frankenteen here." Tina nodded in agreement at this statement.

"Fine but no more physical violence please" the teacher stated.

In the intervening time an eerie sense of calm had filled the room. Puck, Quinn and Santana were sat by the piano. Artie had placed himself between Santana and the corner were Finn was being corralled. Brittany and Quinn were dividing their time offering quiet words of comfort to Santana and Puck while at the same time sending evil looks in Finn's hiccupps and soft sobs were now the only real sounds left in the room so Will turned his attention to the group of self confessed divas. Mercedes was still trying to get Rachel to take sips of water as Kurt held one of her hands and rubbed her back in an effort to soothe her.

"Okay who want to explain to me what just happened here?" No one made any effort to answer his question so Will tried again. "I'm serious you guys." At this statement both Puck and Kurt rolled their eyes. "There is no way we can even hope to make it past Sectionals if the team is so fragmented." Will tried appealling to their competitive nature looking to Rachel who normally put success before all else. His words however had no effect, if anything they only made her sobs grow in volume and earned him angry glares from Mercedes and Artie.

So Rachel was at the centre of this chaos Will thought to himself and given the way that Finn was still trapped in the corner of the room he guessed that Finchel had once more imploded at the cost of the team. Really this was a major flaw with his glee club, they were unable to leave their hormones out of the choir roon to the detriment of the club. At least Rachel seemed to have some support Will thought, remembering the row that had happened at Sectionals the year before. If the situation wasn't as tense he would have commented on the progress made between Santana and Rachel who were friends at last. Will's focus however was drawn back to the situation at hand by the sound of Finn trying to move from the confines of the corner only to have Sam and Mike push him further into the space.

"Look guys, from what I can see it's obvious that Finn and Rachel are at the centre of this, so how about you all back off a bit, I'll get Ms Pillsbury in here, we'll mediate and settle the problem like grown ups."

"Mr Schue you don't know what you are talking about, so please don't make such sweeping statements." Kurt's voice was quiet but betrayed his anger at his teacher's words.

"You know you should just ask the Golden Child what's going on. I know how your mind works and from the looks you're giving Rachel it's clear you're trying to blame this on her emotions or whatever which is bull..."

"Noah." It was barely a whisper but it made Puck turn his head quickly in Rachel's direction. Will watched as a multitude of emotions pass between the two, though no more words were actually spoken.

Deciding to take Puck's advice Will turned his attention to Finn who was also watching the interaction between his girlfriend and best friend, his face contorting with anger before shouting: "I knew it, you two again. Oh my God and I'm getting the blame? God Rachel I take it back, I'm not sorry, I'd do it all over again because you're nothing but an attention seeking bitch."

Finn's words were like petrol on a dying fire, chaos errupted and this time Brittany was being held back as she tried her best to get at Finn. In the middle of the drama Will watched as Lauren pulled out a bag of popcorn, settled herself on a chair in front of the choir room door proclaiming "this is better than any soap opera", words that Will fully agreed with.

**A.N So that's chapter two, I know that it has probably just raised more questions than answers, but please stick with me. Reviews always welcome~Carrie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Glee, if I did then Mark would have had more than 3 solo songs so far this season.**

**A.N. Again thanks to everyone who read/reviewed the last chapter. **

Sue was busy writing her new plan for the glee club's destruction into her journal when Becky came crashing into her office, out of breath and unable to tell her exactly what was happening. Having heard the words 'choir room', 'almight row' and 'Schue frozen', Sue thought that once again the club itself was playing into her hands and took off in the direction of the music room to see the carnage for herself.

In spite of her already low opinion of the permed Spanish teacher's ability to maintain order and educate his band of merry misfits, she thought he had reached an all time low as the man stood in the middle of the room, his mouth opening and closing as his usual platitudes fell on deaf ears. Sue smirked at the sight of the wrestling girl munching on popcorn clearly enjoying the scene in front of her, and for a second she found herself liking the girl!

Shaking these thoughts from her head she took a quick sweeping glance around the room to try and discover the cause of the trouble, for once being both blameless and out of the loop. She noted the pale anxious demeanour on Rachel's face which seemed to be laced with fear. In the corner the tall gangly boy that Schue was always championing was looking guilty, a nice change from the confused look he normally sported. The rest of the club was divided between trapping Finn in the corner, keeping Santana and Puck away from the boy which was not an easy task and making sure that Rachel was not too hysterical. With a sigh Sue realised that she would have to take charge or there would be blood spilt before Schue made a decision.

"What the Hell is going on here?" Sue's icy tone filled the choir room and even without raising her voice from its normal level it was enough to once more pause the row that had engulfed the glee club. Will couldn't decide if he was happy that the room was silent again, or angry that Sue now had more ammunition to use against his students. Sue swept into the room barking out orders that were obeyed at once, although Lauren looked particularly put out that her entertainment had been disturbed.

"Now kids I'm going to have a quiet word with Will to see if he knows why his all singing delinquents have declared war on each other and yes Brittany I am talking about you all."

Will found himelf being pulled to the piano half watching as the kids put the furniture back where it belonged and tried to gather up all the sheet music that currently littered the room. He noted that Santana was still focused on Finn watching for any sign that he may try and escape now that Sam and Mike were no longer boxing him into the corner.

"Look Sue thanks for helping to settle the kids but I've got it from here. I know them better so I'll figure out what's going on, no doubt its just another Finchel break up."

Will was desperate to remove the cheerleading coach from the situation but a quick glance at her face let him know that Sue would not leave without a fight so he decided to just ignore her. However before he could once more turn his attention to the group, Sue told him that no song would fix this problem and maybe he didn't know his kids as well as he thought. Turning to leave the room she paused for a second. "By the way Will, it might be difficult to get to the bottom of this when you are missing a key player," and with that she was gone leaving Will to wonder what she meant.

Giving the room a quick glance he saw that everything was once more where it should be. "Ok let's try this again and I only want to hear one voice at a time. Artie why don't you begin?"

"Ehm Mr Schue shouldn't Rachel be here? If only to defend herself when you take Finn's side yet again?" The venom in Puck's voice was unmistakeable and his words made Will do another sweep of the room. Sure enough both Rachel and Kurt had somehow disappeared and he wasn't sure when they had left.

"Does anyone know where Rachel and Kurt are gone? I would really like to get this issue resolved so we can move on and focus on the competition." Will hoped that he might finally get some answers but there was silence, no one wanted to speak, each looking around for another student to act as spokesperson for the group.

"Mr Schue," Kurt's voice finally broke through the quiet. "I think the best plan of action is to postpone this meeting until tomorrow. Rachel is in no fit state to be anywhere near my darling stepbrother and I'm not entirely sure if Puck or Santana are calm enough to listen to whatever pathetic excuses he has to defend himself."

Brittany chose that moment to speak up, "Kurt's right, the only way to solve this is to take a step back. Puck you're still on probation and Rae wouldn't want you risking your progress, especially when you're waiting on that letter from N..."

"It's okay Britt," Puck interupted the girl. "Look I'll drive her home. Why don't you and Satan meet us there. Kurt can bring dinner and Blaine will want to check on her I'm sure." Winking at Kurt, Puck turned to his teacher. "Look Schue we all need a timeout from all the drama but we'll be here tomorrow ready to work or whatever. Maybe you could have a word with Finn there bout boundaries and the meaning of the word no," and with that Puck grabbed his bag and headed out the door.

The majority of the kids followed Puck's lead exiting the room before Will had a chance to realise that he still didn't understand why the club were fighting and if he could expect more drama the following day. He noticed that Finn had made no move to leave with the others so he sat down beside his male lead hoping to get some answers, Puck's final words spinning through his head.

"C'mon Finn let's get out here and you can maybe try to explain what just happened." Will was happy when the boy gathered up his belongings and they headed out of the school, the Cheerio coach unseen as she watched from the shadows, realising that once again the Spanish teacher had been fooled by Hudson's little boy lost routine. Tomorrow would be just as drama filled and Sue could hardly wait and just to ensure she had a front row seat she pulled out her phone, pressed 7 on her speed dial and waited for the call to connect.

"Q, tell me everything I need to know."

**A.N. So more drama and more on the way with Sue now involved. For those who may be wondering what Finn did, the answers will be revealed slowly in the next few chapters. Thanks again for taking the time to read this and if you have any question feel free to ask. ~Carrie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**A.N. I'm so grateful for everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. To those who have added it to their favourite list, or subscribed all I can say is thank you. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, feel free to let me know your thoughts :) **

**ROCKCHIC179 As you don't seem to have pm set up I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews, more suspense I'm afraid this chapter ;)**

She was frozen, unable to move or speak as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. For years she had craved three things; her rightful place in the spotlight, friends and the love of her very own leading man. For a short time she had had them all. Now she just wanted to run and hide, stay in the shadows unnoticed by everyone, if only to protect herself from...NO she wasn't going to think about that day again if she could help herself. Somewhere in her head she registered a hand gently rub her back, fingers caressing her hair every now and then, words spoken quietly that had no other purpose but to soothe, to reasure her that she wasn't alone. That she was _safe_.

Perhaps her new friendships were a good thing, she was not alone in spite of what that cruel voice had told her. _Screamed_ at her. While she was glad to have these people here the guilt overwhelmed her. By choosing to support her she was, potentially, tearing apart friendships that went back to their preschool days, destroying a family she knew meant so much to Kurt and his dad.

Her tears became louder as her whole body shook with the force of tears that wracked her small frame, to the point that words became a jumble of confusion and she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

Welcoming the distraction as Sue's voice entered the fray, she focused on the new sound to steady herself, caught Noah's eye, and though she couldn't quite work out all the emotion she saw there, it was enough to stop the panic attack from taking over fully. She saw him give a nod in the direction of the door and welcoming his permission to escape she took a small sip of water. She caught the look that passed between Kurt and Noah, the wordless conversation, then allowed herself to be quietly moved from the room, knowing that Noah would be with her soon.

She paused briefly as Kurt pulled out his phone, spoke quickly to Blaine, no doubt updating him on the drama and getting advice he clearly needed. Kurt turned his attention back to his friend. "Rach, Blaine is going to meet us at your house, that's okay right?" She nodded her head. Blaine was becoming like a brother to her and he would also help Kurt so it was a win win situation. "I'm going back to the choir room for a few minutes but Puck will be with you really soon to drive you home. Will you be ok by yourself?"

"I'll wait on the bleachers for him, the fresh air will do me some good, clear my head a bit. I'm so sorry that you got dragged into this."

Kurt silenced her with a look, gave her a quick hug and sent her off to the stands with his parting words ringing in her ears. "Don't even go there Rach, none of this is your fault. I'll see you at home."

Rachel slowly made her way out of the school building heading towards the football field wishing she had a heavier coat on her, for in spite of the warm fall sun, the emotional trama of the previous hours had taken its toll on her and her light jumper did nothing to keep the chill away. She only hoped that Noah would be there soon so that she could leave school for the warm refuge that was her home.

As the minutes passed Rachel's mind began to drift to the start of the summer. Finn was gone to a football camp at OSU but she was so busy taking her normal dance and vocal classes to really have time to miss him. She was already begining to question her decision to reunite with him, though if she was honest with herself her doubts began before she left the library on the last day of school. Wishing she had listened to her instincts, Rachel instead focused on the positive aspects of the holiday, namely the strengthening of her existing friendships with Noah, Kurt and Blaine, and the tentative friendship with Britt and Santana.

The three girls had become closer after meeting at one of the dance workshops Rachel was taking. Brittany had also signed up and wherever the blonde girl was so to was Santana. At first they had only exchanged casual greetings, then Rachel had been paired with Britt for the recital which led to the two former cheerleaders spending time in her home dance studio. Britt was hoping to add this performance to her audtion reel for college, so Santana took it upon herself to warn Rachel to share the spotlight since dance was not her career goal. On the day of the performance when Santana saw how Rachel not only shared their stagetime, but had actually let Brittany be the star, she found herself respecting the small diva and decided to get to know her better.

Rachel's dads were so happy to see the new group of kids that were constantly in their house and how their daughter seems to blossom as a result of their presence. Rachel felt herself relax in spite of her busy schedule which now also included day trips to baseball games, picnics in the local parks, going to smaller parties and just acting like a regular teen. She knew she would remember this time forever but if she had known how the summer would end she might have wished that things had stayed the same. On the other hand she couldn't, no _wouldn't_ wish away her friendships just because Finn had reacted so badly when he finally returned from camp.

Noah's voice calling her name woke Rachel from her memories and she tried to concentrate on what he was saying, unknowingly blinking away tears she didn't realise were there. Noah took her hand, scowling at how cold it was he threw his letterman jacket over her shoulders and gently pulled her to her feet. He began leading her away from the school wishing he had the words to comfort her. If thoughts could kill Finn would be a dead man several times over. For now he needed to get Rachel home but he was in no doubt that karma would eventually catch up with his former best friend, especially with so many people eager to act on karma's behalf.

**A.N. So this was a slightly shorter chapter than the previous ones, but I plan on updating tomorrow so hopefully that will make up for it. I know a lot of people are wondering about the mystery, but I want to warn you that there are a few more chapters before all becomes clear, so I hope you will keep reading. I have been putting small hints into each chapter so I hope this is enough to encourage you all to stick with me. Thanks again for reading ~Carrie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**A.N. Once again I was blown away by the response the last chapter got, it means so much that ye take the time to read this story that has been in my head for so long.**

Being quiet and slow to anger had its advantages. For years Mike had been privy to many secrets, some he had been told but others he had discovered by chance. People it seemed either didn't notice he was there, or if they did, they never thought he would share their private information with the world. A lot of the time this arrangement suited Mike, he flew under the radar at McKinley observing his fellow students from a distance. Every once in a while however, he witnessed events that he wished he could forget, or heard things he wanted to ignore. Every so often though, harsh words or thoughtless actions made his blood boil enough to want to step out of the shadows and inflict pain on those who truly deserved it.

Since he began dating Tina and had gotten to know the other gleeks better, Mike found himself wanting to be come more pro-active in ending the cycle of bullying at McKinley. He had missed Kurt when he was forced to leave for Dalton and had been tempted to 'out' Karofsky so that his friend could return. Tina without knowing the full story had urged her boyfriend to talk to Kurt first and Mike was thankful for her advice and her level headedness. They really did make a great team and though the situation wasn't ideal, that afternoon in the choir room they had stood up for Rachel and Mike was proud of Tina's determination to make Finn suffer.

With a sigh Mike realised he could no longer ignore the real cause of the row that had taken place that afternoon. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tina still chatting to Mercedes on the phone, making plans for Rachel's protection detail the next day at school. He was glad that they had the house to themselves as they had all agreed that their parents should be left in the dark for the time being. At the minute Ms Pilsbury was the only adult that Rachel felt comfortable with, her lack of faith in Mr Schue had proven correct when he had once more sided with Finn.

Mike couldn't avoid thoughts of the boy any longer and by default his recent behaviour, which is why the club found itself in turmoil. Finn used to be their leader, someone everybody could depend on, but he had started to change since joining Glee and the drama of Babygate. Yet he was not the innocent he tried to pretend to be. True Quinn had slept with Puck, but only after Finn began openly flirting with Rachel, stealing kisses and playing on both girls' insecurities to keep them hanging around. Mike not only knew that Puck was the real father, he also knew the moment Finn discovered the truth and it was weeks before Rachel had told him. Finn however had been happy to let the lovestruck girl take the blame when their chances at Sectionals looked hopeless, sweeping in to save the day, reconfirming his title as fearless leader.

Mike often wondered why Puck tried so desperately to to repair their battered friendship, believing Finn's taunts about being just like his absent father, sacrificing the growing bond with Rachel and for what? Really the more Mike thought about it, the angrier he got, deciding then and there that no matter what decision Rachel came to, he was done with Finn and his hypocrisy.

Tina ended her phone call with Mercedes watching the anger that contorted her boyfriend's normally calm face. She knew how difficult this was for him, he had been trying to justify his friend's actions for almost two years but it looked like at last Mike was going to leave the teen behind him. Moving to sit beside her boyfriend she tried to convey her message to him without words before speaking. "It's going to be okay. We don't need Finn Hudson in our lives and really after graduation it was inevitable that we would lose touch with him."

Mike was struggling to form any sort of reply when his phone rang. Recognising the assigned ring tone he ignored the call and looked to his girlfriend for words of wisdom.

"It's going to be a tough few days. We need to get everything straightened out and then we can all concentrate on the future." Mike's phone rang again, a text message this time. Tina reached over, took a quick look at what it said, then put it on silent before snapping the lid closed.

"Ms P. will meet us just before class in the morning. You need to write down everything you saw no matter how insignificant it may seem."

Mike took Tina's hand in his own, gaining some comfort from the familar acton. "I just wish that I'd realised sooner what he was planning and when I did I was frozen T. It was like I couldn't make myself move quick enough, I could have helped more..." It was barely a whisper but Tina heard the anguish in his voice and once again found herself cursing Finn to the fiery depths of Hell.

"Don't you dare feel guilty for what he did Mike. Rachel doesn't blame you so just concentrate on bringing Finn down."

The doorbell began ringing at that moment, so Tina jumped off the sofa and ran to see who was there. With a small gasp of surprise she opened the door halfway only to have one Sue Sylvester waltz straight into the house, Quinn following meekly in her wake.

"Coach Sylvester is looking for Mike since he was there when Finn..." Quinn spoke quickly trailing off as she was unable to finish her statement.

Tina led the visitors to the sitting room watching Mike's reaction to the presence of the cheerleading coach in her house. The pair seemed to be having a staring competition to decide who would speak first, surprisingly it was the teacher who broke first.

"Q tells me that you are the Keeper of Secrets at McKinley and have information I need?" Mike shook his head slowly to confirm the truth of her statement.

"She also told me you were all reluctant to look for help, apart from Esmerelda or Ms Pilsbury as you call her?" Another nod of confirmation from Mike.

"Look kids as much as you are trying to protect your friend, you are just playing into Finn's hands. I've talked to Emma who agrees that Will is blind to the boy's faults so I'm going to help you out. You've got to start talking though, ASAP, or I won't be able to do anything."

Tina watched as her boyfriend came to his decision,knowing him well enough to realise that Sue's use of Emma's real name had swung it for him.

"It's not really my story to tell," he began. "You'll obviously need to speak with Rachel. What I can tell you is that Finn's reign at McKinley needs to end and you are going to help us make that happen." At Sue's urging they all took a seat and Mike began to reveal secets he had witnessed, with every word he felt as if a heavy burden was being taken from his shoulders.

**A.N. As Mike and Tina don't always get as much screentime as they deserve I wanted to make sure that they had at least one chapter in this story dedicated to them. Please let me know what you think and FYI next chapter we get a look inside the mind of one Finn Hudson ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: No I still do not own Glee**

**A.N. I can't begin to thank you all for your reviews/alerts/favourites, I honestly never imagined that so many people would read this story, it was just something that got stuck in my head and refused to go away. Here as promised is a chapter from Finn's point of view, to any Finn fans reading, it does not show him in the most flattering of light so please don't flame. **

"Is everything ok Mr Schue?" Finn noticed the disappointed look on his teacher's face as the older man re-read the last text message he had just recieved.

"Just a change of plans for later, but its fine. Actually it leaves me with more time to try and help you with your current issues."

Finn nodded slowly welcoming the kind words, but before he could continue the conversation their waitress arrived with their drink order. After deciding on their food, Will wondered how best to get the information he needed without prying too much. He could tell that Finn was nervous, anxious even, which was perfectly understandable considering how the boy had been singled out by the majority of the club. He was going to put his foot down at their next meeting, the kind of behaviour he witnessed today was inacceptable and he expected more from them. They would learn that their actions could and would be punished. That would show Sue that he was in complete control of the situation despite what she may think based on today's events.

Finn watched as Will got lost in his thoughts, inwardly smirking that the man had once more fallen for his innocent act. Really life was so much easier when people bought his naive confused persona. He had learnt from an early age that all he had to do was look dumb and people would forgive him practically anything. After all he was the star quarter back, his dad was a war hero and as a result he had been coasting through life, so he had no intention of making any changes to his life when there were only a few months left at McKinley.

The Rachel problem had been unexpected and the club's reaction had been worrying for a time, but since it was clear that he had the unwavering support of his Spanish teacher, he figured he had the problem solved. All it would take were some tears as he told his version of events, a flash of his confused face and a suggestion of an 80's powerballad or two that would convery his remorse for something that was Rachel's fault for misunderstanding him. If he could somehow push the blame onto someone else in the club, Puck or Kurt perhaps then all the better. They both needed to remember their places and once they were out of the way he could finish what he started with Rachel.

The arrival of their food woke both men from their thoughts, Finn flashing Will that small confused smile that always worked so well, and was rewarded by the concerned look in his mentor's face.

"So Finn I need you to be honest with me here ok?Was today's incident a once off or has the bullying been going on longer?" Finn barely control the look of triumph at the ready made sob story that Will had given him, allowing a tear to escape from his eye.

"So it wasn't just today was it?" Finn decided he would let the teacher continue, nodding in the appropriate places so by the time their main course was being cleared, Will had practically invented a terrible and injust case of intimidation that the quarter back was being subjected to. The alleged cause was his daring to break up with Rachel thus ruining the club's chanced of victory that year. Puck, Santana and Kurt had been identified as the ringleaders and Will was particularly angry that Finn's stepbrother would subject him to the same kind of treatment that had led to Kurt having to transfer schools the previous year.

Telling Finn to order desert Will excused himself to make some quick phone calls, he wanted this issue dealt with first thing the next morning, even if it did put the club's existance in danger.

As he watched Mr Schue make several calls Finn couldn't believe how well that had gone, especially since he had let his mentor do all the speaking. In the unlikely event that things did not go his way he would just accuse Mr Schue of making it all up. And if that failed to help him then he would just say that the Spanish teacher had acted inappropriately towards him, perhaps mention some touched that had made him feel uncomfortable.

Now that he had his plans made he just needed to convince Will not to alert his mother and step father to the reason for tomorrow's meeting, the less Kurt knew the better. Finn smiled at the waitress who had been secretly serving him alcohol all evening, he already had her phone number and she would be a good distraction until Rachel could be reeled back in .

Later that evening Finn reflected on how successful his dinner had been, Will had dropped him home and with Kurt no where to be seen, he allowed his mother to speak with Mr Schue. His mom spent her time making his favourite snacks so he guessed that she had been told about his 'difficult day' but when she pushed the subject he just told her he wasn't ready to talk. The night got better when he learnt that Kurt was staying with Mercades which meant that Burt was none the wiser about his day, really everything was falling into place.

Claiming he wanted an early night, he said good night to his mom and spent the next few hours plotting his revenge on Rachel. Really since she had started throwing herself at him he had found himself having to work harder to maintain his perfect little world. He did not like losing control of any aspect of his life and Rachel was an unsteady force that left destruction in her wake. The child that wasn't his, Jesse St. James, Coach Bieste choosing Sam as quarterback, the list went on but every bad event could be traced to Rachel in some way. He had tried to mold her so she would fit into his world, he should have been enough for her but she just threw everything back in his face time and time again.

The final straw had been when she had refused to give up New York, clearly spending time with Puck and Santana over the summer had made Rachel more defiant and that could not be allowed. He reminded Puck of his promise to stay away, that he would never be good enough for Rachel, but to Finn's anger his words did not work anymore. Puck was growing in confidence, fed by tiny diva's words of praise and encouragement. Then the unthinkable happened, Rachel broke up with _him _on the last day of the holidays, if they were going to break up in a few months then why delay the inevitable. Since Finn had no plans to even apply to schools in NYC, Rachel wanted to spend her last year cementing her friendships and 'kicking ass' at Nationals.

Flashing his trademark goofy smile, internally Finn raged, deciding on the spot that he would make Rachel pay. He would ruin her friendships, destroy the tentative relationship he could see growing between her and Puck, and then he would swoop in to save the day. By the time he was finished with Rachel she would be isolated with no self esteem, begging him to take her back all, dreams of Broadway forgotten, ready to fulfill her destiny as Mrs Finn Hudson. It really was too bad that his plans had been derailed so quickly, though some fast thinking on his part should ensure it was only a temporary setback. After all he was poor stupid Finn Hudson, the adorable QB, what was the worst he could do?

**A.N. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, what you think of how Finn has been behaving perhaps? As always thanks for taking the time to read this ~Carrie**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. A million thank yous to all who have read the last chapter, favourited it, added it to alerts and reviewed :) This chapter I've introduced a friendship that hasn't really shown up on the show, but that I think has lots of potential!**

Blaine quietly let himself into the Berry house, the flurry of texts and one brief conversation with Kurt had let him know that Finn's actions were causing further pain. Rachel's dads were away on their second honeymoon and she had insisted on keeping them in the dark until they came home that weekend. Having spent time with both men over the summer Blaine was sure they would be angry when they eventually learnt the truth, but his main priority was keep Rachel as calm as possible so he had reluctantly agreed.

It had been Quinn who was adamant that they tell some adult and so Ms P had been call and for that Blaine was thankful. The guidance counsellor had offered help but didn't overstep the strict boundaries that Rachel had immediately placed on them all. Emma as she insisted they call her was available to them at any hour and Blaine could see that she was slowly gaining his friends' trust and really had their backs.

Sighing he began to prepare dinner for the family that he had acquired with his relationship with Kurt, an unexpected bonus he thought but one that he valued. He had heard the stories of infighting, difficult relationships and rivalries that had at one time or another threatened to tear the club apart. Over the summer however he had witnessed firsthand the past being but to rest as they finally accepted one another. At the heart of this new attitude and behaviour was Rachel and now her perseverance was being rewarded as the club joined together, ready to protect their star, no their sister.

The sound of his phone ringing disturbed his train of thought at the same time as someone knocked on the front door. Answering the call from Puck as he crossed the hallway he saw a workman standing on the front porch, Blaine relaxed as learnt that he was there to change the locks. As the man began the job at hand Blaine listened to Puck's request to think of an appropriate excuse they could give Rachel's dads, though both hoped that by the time Hiram and Leroy arrived home Rachel would be able to tell them the truth. Blaine ended the call as Kurt arrived at the house, seeing the conflicting emotions on his boyfriend's face he pulled the smaller boy to him in a comforting embrace.

After a few minutes Kurt stepped out of his arms but laced their hands together, soaking up as much strenght and comfort as he could, they had a long evening ahead. The workman coughed discreetly behind them asking to be shown the backdoor and any other locks that needed to be changed. Blaine led the man through to the kitchen as Kurt took out his phone and began making plans with one of the other gleeks.

Getting back to dinner preparations Blaine wondered what would happen in the Hummel Hudson household once the truth emerged. Secrets always have a way of slipping out and not for the first time did Blaine wish they had been able to confide in Burt. Still he was sure that when called on, Kurt's dad would do the right thing, he had faith in the older man and that gave Blaine a small amount of hope. Kurt appeared back in the kitchen just as the workman finished his job and the door bell rang so the boys divided the tasks. Kurt payed the locksmith and collected the new keys while Blaine let Santana and Brittany in.

Both girls had overnight bags with them, Santana was speaking quietly on her phone and seemed agitated but Blaine couldn't hear enough of the conversation to figure out who she was talking to. As she began to pace in the Berry's sitting room he found himself enveloped in a hug by Britt who was looking questioningly at the toolbox in the hallway.

"The locks are being changed so Rachel feels safe, Finn knows where the spare was kept so it makes sense." Brittany nodded seeming happier to hear this bit of news, "Something smells delish in the kitchen."

Blaine laughed gently at her leading the girl to the kitchen, they had learnt over the summer that they shared a passion for cooking and loved inventing new dishes together. Tonight though was all about comfort food and Blaine had bought ingredients so Britt could make some homemade treats. Rachel was clearly in no state to make her famous cookies and chocolate cupcakes, which were the former cheerleader's speciality would be a good substitute, vegan friendly naturally. It was amazing what hidden talents quitting the cheerleading squad could unleash, as freed from her strict diet Brittany had embraced her love of anything baked!

As he moved around the kitchen clearing a workspace for his sous chef, Blaine could see Kurt and Santana have a brief conversation, both glanced at the clock before Kurt nodded and Santana resumed her phone call. Blaine hated to see the anger on both their faces but Britt just placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as she passed him, and once more he was reminded of the family he was now part of. They had all developed this habit of sensing what was going on in each other's heads and how to respond appropriately. Brittany had clearly demonstrated this with her simple gesture.

With a snap Santana ended the call and walked to the edge of the kitchen looking fondly on her friend as she danced to some song in her head. " I have to go out for awhile, do we have enough food for a few more people?" Santana asked quietly.

"That's not a problem, there is enough for a small army, you know how at the best of times I make twice as much as is needed" Blaine replied. "Will you be gone long? I know that Puck should be back soon, in fact I'm surprised they're not here already," the anxiety in his tone was clear.

"I'm not sure but hopefully not more than an hour, and Puck text to say they were about ten minutes away." Santana pulled Britt in for a quick hug,who insisted that Blaine join in as well, and then the Latino girl was gone with a shout to Kurt who had gone upstairs.

"Ok Mr Warbler lets focus on feeding the gleeks, a hungry Puckerman is no-one's friends." Blaine agreed with his cooking partner and concentrated on the task at hand, so that by the time the door opened again twenty minutes later,the table was set and the house was filled with mouthwatering smells.

Kurt's footsteps sounded noisily on the stairs and he took the bags out of Puck's hands as Blaine saw Rachel for the first time that day. He felt his heart break at the sight in front of him, Rachel seemed smaller than usual if that was even possible. She was huddled close to Puck clearly frozen in spite of the letterman jacket that engulfed her frame and was shaking though whether that was from the cold or her tears Blaine couldn't tell. Moving quickly he took charge asking Britt to make some sweet tea and for Kurt to grab the comforter fron Rachel's bed, then followed Puck into the sitting room as Rachel was placed gently on the sofa. As their eyes met over Rachel's head Blaine had no problem reading the thoughts that were running through Puck's head, they matched his own. Finn was history.

**A.N. So that was chapter 7, is there a nickname for the dynamic duo that is Blaine and Brittany?I hope you enjoyed this chapter, reviews are always welcome :) Also I was hoping that some of my readers might be able to help me with some info I need for an upcoming chapter. I'm not from the States but I've read about the game 'I never' in a few stories and I want to use the idea of the game, I am however slightly unsure about the rules etc, so if any of ye could help explain it I would be very grateful. Thanks for taking the time to read this ~Carrie**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me**

**A.N. Thank you to everyone who explained 'Never have I ever' to me and as always to those who read and reviewed the last chapter. Without further ado I present chapter 8, which I hope you all enjoy :)**

To the majority of the student population of McKinley High School, Emma Pilsbury was a bit of a crazy woman, more focused on keeping everything around her clean than being able to provide proper advice to those teens who really needed it. A small minority knew from firsthand experience that in spite of her O.C.D issues, the school councellor was actually more attuned to the problems they faced on a daily basis.

During her pregnancy Quinn had developed a close relationship with Emma as she tried to adjust to all the changes in her life. Mercades spoke to Ms P on the recommendation of her new friend, discussing her body images problems with her, in turn she urged Sam to seek her counsel when his family's monetary problems came to light. As a result when Quinn stumbled upon Mike trying desperately to calm Rachel and Sam was trying to restrain Puck, the obvious course of action was to seek out Ms P. Their faith in the councellor was rewarded when she managed to assess the situation quickly and handle the fraught emotions of all involved.

Calling upon all her years of training and on an inner strenght she was only begining to harness Emma sat herself down on the tiled and germ covered floor between Rachel and Puck. She spoke softly but all the gleeks could hear the truth and determination behind her words. **Yes** she would make sure that justice was done. **Yes **she would respect Rachel's wish to keep the information private for as long as necessary and **no** she would not let Finn's reputation and image save him from the consequences, even if that would inevitably cause a rift between herself and Mr Schue.

If she was being honest with herself Emma knew that alot of the time Will saw his younger self in Finn and Rachel somehow reminded him of his ex-wife. Given how badly that marriage had ended there was only a slim chance that Will would try and see Rachel's side of things. Since he was currently having dinner with Finn she knew that once again Will's bias had clouded his judgement.

Pushing thoughts of her one time flame to the side, Emma prepared for her meeting with some of the gleeks and Sue who had somehow become involved. She had recieved a call from Quinn requesting her presence at Tina's house and had heard the unmistakable voice of the coach in the background. Since the death of her sister Sue and Emma had begun talking, getting past a lot of their previous differences and while they couldn't call each other friends there was a growing sense of respect between the two women. Jumping out of her car Emma was greeted by Sam and Mercades, who at once updated their new mentor on the events of the last few hours. How Sue had managed to defuse the row in the choir room and then made it her mission to find out it's cause. The front door swung open and Sue stepped outside, with a nod of her head Emma was left alone as Mercades and Sam rushed inside to confer with their friends.

"Well Emma it seems that Hudson has gone too far this time and since Will is clearly blind to the truth it is up to us to fix the problem." Momentarily thrown by the public use of her proper first name Emma nodded her head slowly in agreement.

"I'm guessing you have talked to Mike and the next logical step is Rachel, but I'm not sure if you will be let near her..." Emma trailed off waiting for Sue's response. "I'm already on it, that's why I asked you here, or got Q to get you here. We have to work together."

A car pulled up in front of the house and Santana emerged looking questioningly between the two women but Emma just smiled at her, ushering the girl inside. "We'll be there momentarily Santana, I know you can't stay long." The quiet tone of the cheerleading coach again enforced the seriousness of the situation.

"Sue all I need is your promise to trust the kids, respect their decisions so that we can help them together and get the resolution we all want." There was a slight trace of uncetainty in Emma's voice, she was unsure if their fragile truce would hold if Sue was unable to deal with things in her normal way.

Again she was surprised by her reply "I'll follow your lead, I need to earn their trust. Mike already told me what he knows, what he saw and it is alot for them to deal with alone, but between us I know can help."

With that Sue headed back towards the house, Emma following in her wake wondering what it would take for Rachel to let the outspoken opponent of glee club near her. She had a sudden brain wave, if they could get Kurt to explain the attempts Sue had made to keep him safe the previous year then Rachel may be persuaded that have another adult on her side could only help.

As she took her seat in the Cohen Chang's sitting room she declined Tina's offer of tea and tried to gage how each of the teens were feeling. Quinn appeared to be updating Santana, Mercades and Sam on the cheerleading coach's knowledge of the events of the past few weeks. Mike looked pale but somewhat calmer, clearly having told another adult what he knew had helped and Emma recognised a new confidence in his eyes, already Sue's involvement was showing positive effects.

"I've spoken briefly to Puck and Kurt before I left Rachel's house," Santana's voice broke through the quiet. "They both feel that having Coach S on our side is a good thing." Emma could sense the girl's reluctance to continue as she awaited Sue's reaction but when the other teacher remained quiet Santana spoke again.

"We'd like if you both would have dinner with us at the Berry's and let Rachel decide for herself. She liked how you dealt with the situation earlier in the choir room, that you'd at least hear her out before taking sides unlike someone else we know." The disdain in the girl's voice was obvious and Emma realised that no matter the outcome Will had lost the trust of his club and it would be extremely difficult to regain it, even then that was extremely unlikely.

"Make whatever arrangements you need to, whatever it takes for Rachel to feel comfortable. I want her to know that some of the faculty at McKinley take issues like this very seriously." Santana nodded at Sue's words and excused herself to make a quick phone call frowning slightly at the answers she was getting before hanging up and addressing the room.

"Rachel is sleeping at the minute but you have the ok to join us for dinner, there's alot of information to put together. It seems Finn's been planning something for awhile." While Sue looked questioningly at her former head-cheerleader Emma's focus was drawn to the three missed calls from Will, along with a voice mail he had left and a text message. Ignoring the voice mail Emma's eyebrows rose in surprise at the words on her screen, while Sue's reaction to the message was more vocal,

"Hudson's done it again, he really has Schue wrapped around his finger. Ok kids time to go, the sooner we have all the details the sooner myself and Emma can deal with this once and for all."

**A.N. I know a few of you have asked when the mystery of Finn's actions will be revealed, so you should be happy to know that the truth will emerge in the next chapter. Without giving too much away I'm still unsure if the rating will be changing, because it would only be for one chapter, do you guys think a warning is enough? Your thoughts on this matter and the chapter you have just read are much appreciated ~Carrie **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer : Glee does not belong to me**

**A.N. As always thanks to everyone who read/reviewed and added this story to alerts. **

**So this chapter has the big reveal. However it deals with a serious and sensitive subject and while it is not overly graphic in detail some readers may find it upsetting, so please keep that in mind. If you feel like you want to skip reading the chapter in case it may act as a trigger then I understand, I'm willing to PM anyone an outline of the chapter's events so you can continue reading the story in later chapters.**

"So this is where you've been hiding, your guard dog has finally left you alone probably because he's never set foot inside the library before."

Finn's sneering tone broke through the quiet of Rachel's refuge and she silently cursed herself for not paying attention to who was around her. To be honest she was still struggling with the sudden change in her ex-boyfriend's behaviour. She had thought that he had accepted their breakup, after all he was the one who stressed that they were still friends, co-captains of Glee and how much he was looking forward to their next duet. Sadly this was the calm before the storm, in the remaining weeks before school began again Rachel felt as if Finn was having a more difficult time adjusting to the change in their relationship.

First it was small negative comments about the strenght of her new friendships, if Santana could be trusted, might Kurt be using her as a replacement for Mercades who was busy the whole time with Sam. When he began to question Puck's intentions Rachel felt the first real tingle of disquiet, the bitterness in Finn's voice was stronger than normal and nothing she could say seemed to convince Finn that no cheating had occurred in his absence that summer.

There was an unfamilar glint in Finn's eyes as he spoke harsh words about loyality, trust and then the kicker; why would Puck bother with Rachel when there were _prettier,_ less _frigid_ options available to him, unless Santana had been a bigger influence on her than he had originally thought? The suggestion that she was ugly cut deeper than the attacks on her morals but Rachel tried to push her hurt aside, she had promised Finn senior year together and had broken it, so he was just dealing with things. After all in the past he had often spoken without realising the impact of his words so this surely was more of the same right?

Not wanting to distrupt the dynamics of the group as the school year began Rachel kept quiet as Finn continued to spew his poison at every chance he could. Both Noah and Kurt saw the change in Rachel's mood but she insisted that she was fine, just a bit anxious about returning to school and the attitudes of certain social cliques. Neither boy believed her especially after Santana witnessed another brief conversation between the exes, she was too far away to hear the words exchanged but Rachel's face spoke volumes, so the three friends decided to stick closer to the diva. When Puck had his run in with his former best friend he realised that all was not well with Finn but he couldn't pinpoint what his intentions were and Rachel wouldn't say much, but she was obvious in her wish to never be alone with Finn.

Rachel was drawn from her thoughts when a hand grabbed her wrist and dragged her roughly to her feet. Her words of protest died on her lips when she registered the look on Finn's face and in shock she allowed herself to be dragged out of the library and into the locker room which seemed to be empty. As she was pushed to the floor she watched as Finn began to pace before he reached down and pulled her further into the room until she was in the corner furthest from both the door and Coach Bieste's office. She felt something dig into her hip and realised that her phone was in her pocket and she tried to send a 911 text before Finn caught her and that was when everything went to Hell. Grabbing Rachel by her hair Finn lifted her off the floor, he knocked the phone out of her hands and smashed it.

"You had to ruin everything didn't you? You think you are so special, better than everybody else because you can carry a tune? Well let me tell you Rachel you are **nothing**. Why do you think Shelby didn't want you or Jesse for that matter?"

Every hateful word was puncuated with a physical blow to her body but Rachel was unable to defend herself against the brutal attack.

"When I'm finished with you even your precious _Noah_ won't be able to look at you. You are **mine** Rachel and no one elses."

Rachel though she heard a door open but her heart was beating so loud that she couldn't be sure, if only she could make some noice even to reason with Finn but she couldn't form any words other than 'no, please don't'. It was like a mantra but it had no effected on the crazed boy in front of her, except maybe it angered him more.

Rachel barely felt pain when she was thrown down on a bench but she did try to fight back when her blouse was torn, but Finn just mocked her efforts, one of his large hands easily capturing both of her own in a tight hold while he ripped at her skirt. The feel of him on her seemed to spur something in her as Rachel began kicking, trying to evade the kisses he was reigning down on her between the blows, her mantra increasing in volume and speed, 'no please stop'.

"No one is going to stop this Rachel, you're all mine now and you will never leave me again will you? C'mon I want you hear you say it, you know it's the truth."

Finn's breathing was a bit more laboured but he still managed to keep Rachel in place with rough touches to her body, her hands still trapped over her head. Just when Rachel gave up, accepted that the sweet boy who she had once loved was going to rob her of her innocence, his heavy weigh was gone from her body, replaced by something soft, a soothing voice whispering in her ear, " It's over, you're safe." Unable to speak Rachel could only close her eyes allowing her tears to escape as darkness enveloped her.

With a start Rachel sat up clawing at the hands that held her own, gasping for air. She slowly recognised the room as the den in her own house and then heard Noah's voice speak quietly to her, "Ray you're at home you're safe, just breathe with me, deep breaths, that's it. In, out, in, out." Listening to his instructions Rachel felt the tension in her lungs ease and she began to notice more of her surroundings, the worried faces of her friends, the radio playing quietly in the kitchen.

"Noah I was in the locker room again only Mike took longer to find you and Finn...He was too late to stop Finn," the words rushed out of her, panic rising again as she thought about how close she had been to being raped by Finn.

"Rachel look at me please," Mike's voice pleaded "We stopped him I promise, we got there in time. I'm just so sorry I didn't get there sooner, so sorry."

Mike had tears streaming down his face as he finished, not caring who saw as long as Rachel understood the depth of his guilt, his regret at being unable to act quick enough.

"It is not your fault Mike, just like it is not mine. Finn is to blame and he will pay for this," Rachel spoke softly but with a hint of her old strenght.

"Ms P and Sue are here Ray, they want to help if you're ready, but no pressure the decision is yours." Noah said as he moved closer to Rachel. She grabbed his hand holding on tightly, "Lets get this over with." At Rachel's words a buzz of activity began, the gleeks producing food and drink for their hurt leader as she was once more settled on the sofa with Noah by her side. The two teachers sat quietly in their assigned seats watching the family support each other, before looking to Rachel for a sign that she was ready to begin her harrowing tale.

**A.N. I'm sure that most people had figured out what Finn had done, but here is the confirmation. I hope that the chapters leading up to this have highlighted how the physical attack was a culmination of Finn's near constant verbal, emotional and psychological abuse of Rachel, and how his actions have affected the whole group, though Rachel was the primary victim. Having read the chapter if you feel it needs a higher rating or more of a warning at the start please let me know. I was basing it on other stories I have read with similar subject matter, but I don't want to offend or upset anyone. I'll finish this mini novel of my author's note by thanking you once more for waiting patiently for this chapter and I hope ye will let me know your thoughts on it ~Carrie**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Glee still does not belong to me.**

**A.N. Thank you so much for the reviews/alerts that the last chapter recieved, you guys are amazing. I never thought I would have over 80 reviews for the whole of this story, so to have reached that number by chapter 9, is mind-blowing.**

Quinn watched from the doorway as Ms P and Sue heard for the first time the whole story of Rachel's treatment at the hands of Finn, the cruel taunts, the threats and finally the brutal assault the previous Friday. She knew that some of the other gleeks were wondering if she had ever seen this side of Finn, but in all the time they were together, even at the height of Babygate, the worst he had ever done was to ignore her. However Quinn had witnessed Rachel in the immediate aftermath of the locker room incident, was one of the few who had seen the bruises now hidden while they slowly healed, but it was the haunted look in her eyes that she would never forget.

It was no secret that she and Rachel had had their issues in the past, their tangled relationships with Finn at the heart of them, but now the girl was under her protection. No man had any right to treat his partner like Finn had, even without the physical assult, the verbal and psychological hate campaign that Finn had waged was damaging enough. Quinn liked to think that she would have been able to handle things better if the roles had been reversed, but from her conversations with Ms P she wondered if that was actually true.

She was now begining to realise that Finn's behaviour in Junior year; encouraging her to cheat on Sam, keeping their reunion a secret for so long, playing her and Rachel's emotions off one another, well it wasn't exactly kosher as Puck would say. So maybe she was luckier because Finn had focused more on Rachel, but that was in the past now, her only concern was helping Rachel in any way she could while supporting her fellow gleeks as the fallout was going to be explosive.

Sam watched the reactions of the teachers to Rachel's narrative, Emma knew part of the story already and Sue was staying quiet, listening to every halting word Rachel spoke. He also saw the conflicting emotions that danced across Quinn's face and he knew she was only half listening, no doubt the girl was once more searching her memories for missed signs of Finn's true character.

Sam knew that the most important outcome of the evening would be getting Rachel's permission to report Finn, so far she had insisted that it would be kept within the club. This was unrealistic as the scene in the choir room had shown, even if Rachel thought she could handle it, the family that had emerged during the summer could not allow Finn to escape without retribution. Rachel had felt that if he apologised, accepted their chosen punishment, then his future didn't need to be ruined, he didn't need to lose his old friends.

Sam couldn't understand her thinking, until Ms P said it was most likely a mixture of denial as a coping mechanism and also a side effect of Finn's emotional attacks to her self-esteem. For once she wanted to shy away from the spotlight, surround herself with people she deemed strong enough to protect her and also enforce the decision of the club.

It had taken many hours before Mike, Santana and Puck would agree to her plea and that was only because Ms P helped them understand how fragile Rachel was at the minute, while at the same time offering to act as a mediator in this delicate matter. Even then Rachel tried to prevent the rest of the gleeks from being told, she didn't want their pity or judgement, wanted to spare them, especially Kurt, from having to choose sides, until Emma pointed out that if it was truly going to be a club decision then they would have to be told.

Finn would be given a chance to admit all his wrong doings, discuss with the counsellor what had led to his actions and take the necessary steps to atone for his crimes. All three steps were non- negotiable otherwise he would be reported to his mother and as a last resort the police. Even though Sam wasn't fully comfortable with this planned course of action, mainly because he knew Finn would never agree to it, he kept quiet to appease Rachel and began making plans with Mike to deliver their own style of justice if needed.

Lauren had always felt like an outsider in glee, as the last one to join she felt as if her relationships with the rest of the group were not as strong as she would have liked. During the time she had dated Puck she had slowly become closer to Rachel and Artie, but she was always unsure if they would class themselves as friends as well as team mates. As usual she has spent most of her summer at a wrestling training camp and though herself and Puck had called time on their union, they were still partners in crime.

On her return home she saw for herself the changes that had occurred in the dynamics of the club, but as far as she was concerned it was a positive thing. She had only been back a few hours before her presence was requested at the Berry house and she found herself enjoying an impromtu all night poker tournament, laughing as Rachel struggled with the rules. Pre-season training limited her time with the gleeks but she knew there was on open invite for her to join them whenever she could.

Her schedule also meant that she was unaware of the the full extent of Finn's actions until after choir room melee that very afternoon, but once up to speed she too was out for revenge and full of guilt for her blasé attitde. However as Puck pointed out to her, at the time she was none the wiser and that once she was fully informed she had been quick to lend her support. She had now taken charge of their plans to keep Rachel far away from Finn without making it obvious to the rest of the school.

Lauren also had several ideas for how the boys could work on their anger issues withour leaving visable marks on their target. Brittany had been her unlikely assistant, until Lauren remembered Santana's reputation, the girl kept blades in her hair so her desire to express her anger physically needed to be considered by the person who knew her best. Lauren had first hand experience of a Santana Lopez catfight and she welcomed the chance to educate the fiery girl for the worthy cause that was kicking Finn Hudson's ass.

She knew that her friendship with Rachel was new, but in that short space of time, the petite girl had made her feel welcome and as she didn't have alot of female friends, Lauren had been only too happy to accept the friendship. She even thought that one of the reasons why Puckleberry had yet to find their way back to each was because Rachel didn't want to upset her, which was a sweet but misguided thought.

Lauren was drawn out of her musings by the sound of a chair being pushed back and she watched in awe as Sue slowly approached Rachel, gently pulling the shaking girl into a hug. It looked as if the teacher was trying to pass on some of her strenght but Lauren couldn't recognise the emotions in Sue's eyes. It was like seeing the woman for the first time, there was no mistaking her usual determined look but it was mixed with something else. Regardless of that un-named emotion, it gave Lauren some hope that tomorrrow would bring the outcome the club wanted most. With Ms Pilsbury and Sue's support how could they fail?

**A.N. I know a lot of readers are anxious to see Finn get punished for what he has done, but it will not be happening straight away. As you will see from the next couple of chapters, the gleeks along with Sue and Emma are going to teach both Finn and Schue a major lesson in humility. Only then will Finn finally get what he deserves, so as always I hope you have patience with me. Thank you again for taking the time to read this and as always feel free to let me know what you think ~Carrie**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or the lyrics to 'Defying Gravity'.**

**A.N. My thanks as always go to all those who continue to read/review and add this story to their alerts.**

**I would also like to thank _xXLittle Rose AngelXx_ for agreeing to be my beta :) **

The next day came sooner than anyone thought possible. Even though Finn's brutal assault was four days ago, to those it had affected it felt like weeks, not days, had passed. Both Emma and Sue had stayed late at the Berry residence, making plans, reassuring Rachel that one way or the other she would get justice, and providing comfort to all the gleeks.

Now as several alarms woke the family, D-day had arrived and the house was once more alive with activity. Blaine and Britt prepared breakfast for all, Kurt and Quinn helped Rachel get ready, and the rest of the boys plus Santana and Lauren, tried to unleash their anger outside so that they could be calm while at school. A knock on the door announced the arrival of Mercedes, Tina and Sue, come to get the glee convoy on their way to the school early so they could all avoid the majority of the student poplutaion and get themselves settled in the choir room.

Rachel was eerily quiet as she made her way downstairs. She hadn't so much as hummed in the previous four days, but once she saw Naoh talking with the cheerleading coach she relaxed enough to eat a small meal, and speak to her fathers who called religiously each day. She was still keeping them in the dark until their return on the weekend, and while she knew they would be angry, selfishly she didn't feel strong enough to deal with their inevitable reaction.

"You're overthinking things again Rach. Don't start second guessing yourself now." Blaine spoke quietly but firmly. He was going to be at McKinley to support his adoped sister; Sue had arranged the visitor's pass. Speaking of the teacher, Rachel noticed her deep in conversation with Quinn and Brittany. The girls were holding a clothes bag and a folder; Sue seemed very happy to see them and whatever they contained.

"Ok kids it's time to leave, Emma's just sent the signal that the coast is clear. As we discussed last night she is meeting Schue, Finn and his mother at their house." Sue checked her phone again when a second message arrived, and added, "Kurt it seems your absence has been noticed by your dad, has he tried making contact?"

Kurt cursed under his breath softly checking his phone, and sure enough he had a few missed calls from his dad. He quickly called Burt's personal line, spoke briefly to him and ended the call.

"I told him a white lie. He'll understand when he hears the full story. Now, let's get moving."

With that, the gleeks gathered up their belongings, checked the house was properly locked up and that the alarm was set before jumping into their cars, Rachel tucked up beside Noah in his truck.

Finn was starting to feel anxious as he tried to listen to Burt's conversation with Kurt. Up to that point things had gone as he had planned. Mr Schue had outlined the bullying he was suffering, and Ms Pilsbury was recommending an all day group session for the whole club to take place today. Burt return to the kitchen table where they were sitting and seemed impressed that the counsellor could organise something like that so quickly. Carole wanted to be there to see the kids try to defend themselves but Finn thought he would be better able to control the situation if it was just the teachers present, so his mom agreed to stay away.

"Why don't you finish getting ready, Finn?" Ms Pilsbury said as she stood up from the table. "I need to get to the school to finish the last minute details but I'm sure that Mr Schuester can drive you. Perhaps you can get your thoughts together; figure out what you want to say to everyone?"

Finn gave the red-head his trademark smile, internally applauding his manipulation of yet another adult and missing the brief flicker of anger that crossed Emma's face.

"Mr and Mrs Hummel, thank you for your time and for allowing us to deal with this issue within the club," Will began only to be interupted by Emma.

"Sorry just one last thing: are you both available later if we need parents to enforce the decsions made today? It will really help ensure a successful outcome."

Carole and Burt exchanged a quick look. "Of course we're available, our children come first, we need to show our support to them," Burt said slowly.

Hearing Finn's footsteps on the stairs, Emma moved quickly to the door, pausing to say goodbye before jumping into her car and calling Sue.

The convoy of gleeks had reached McKinley without incident, and made their way to the choir room that Emma had set up for their group session. Two cameras had been placed where they would capture all that was said and only one of the doors was unlocked, meaning there was only one entry and exit to the room. Sue had taken steps to ensure that the classrooms and hallways in the immediate vicinity of the choir room were out of bounds for the duration of the day so that there would be no unexpected disruptions to the proceedings.

To everybody's relief, Jacob had been away for a few days and so no information or photos were in danger of appearing on his blog, and to maintain the privacy of the group the boy was being isolated under the watchful eye of Coach Beiste, per Emma's request.

Taking their seats, Sue noticed how the kids looked after each other at all times, and how chairs had been assigned so all the gleeks felt comfortable and in control. In the last twenty-four hours she had gained a new found respect for these students; there was no doubt in her mind that in ten or twenty years time they would still be as close knit as there were today. Though there was an undeniable air of anxiety and tension in the room, Sue watched their interaction with fascination. The majority of it non-verbal communication; a hand on a shoulder, linked pinkies, absentminded hair rubbing and reassuring smiles.

There was also a small buzz of sound that was slowly growing in volume. Rachel was humming quietly to herself; lost in her thoughts, Sue guessed. Soon enough Kurt and Blaine picked up the tune, joining in just as softly. One by one all the kids added their voices to the melody, harmonising with each other and watching the light growing in Rachel's eyes as she softly sang for the first time in days.

"_And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free. To those who'd ground me, take a __message back from me. Tell them how I'm defying gravity, I'm flying high...and you __can't bring me down."_

Emma watched the impromptu performance from the choir room door, knowing the importance of both the song itself to Rachel, and also the fact that she was singing at all. Catching Sue's eye, she let her know that Will and Finn had arrived, and, as previously agreed, Sue left the room for the time being, in case her presence caused Finn to become suspicious of how the day was really going to go. Sue's departure alerted the kids that it was almost judgement time for their fallen male lead. The sound of footsteps close to the door saw the noise levels in the room drop considerably. It was showtime.

**A.N. Did anyone else act like a giddy fool when Puck winked at Rachel in the first few minutes of 'Choke'? The promo scene for next week with Puck and Becky looks like a super cute moment as well :)**

**As always I welcome your comments,thoughts and ideas on this chapter. There will be an update on Sunday for ye all to look forward to as well. Til next time, thanks for reading ~Carrie**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. I am super excited to have reached 100 reviews for this story. It is beyond anything I ever thought would happen, so thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed and added this story to an alert list.**

**My thanks also to my very patience beta _xXLittle Rose AngelXx_**

**This chapter is a bit longer than I normally write so I hope you all enjoy it :)**

Mr Schue took a quick glance at his glee club, sitting quietly and appearing somewhat subdued. The silence in the choir room was a contrast to the chaos of the day before. He was glad that Emma had been able to set up everything in such a short space of time, and he was reassured by the fact that her presence there would ensure that the day would be productive.

Finn shuffled his feet awkwardly; his nerves were clear to his mentor and Will found his anger growing at how the boy had been treated by his so-called friends. As far as he was concerned, this was only the start of the anti-bullying campaign at McKinley and once his fellow teachers saw how he handled his students they would surely come to him for guidance. Knocking on the door to announce their arrival, something Emma had insisted on, Will thought the atmosphere had changed instantly, though he had trouble settling on one predominant emotion.

Hoping to dispel some of the tension in the room, Will thought that they should start by moving the chairs, but before he could voice his idea Emma asked Finn to take the seat that was left for him. Lauren was to his left, with Artie on his right. Emma then proceeded to explain how the morning would play out.

"Okay, guys, in order for this to work I need to insist on a strict honesty policy. Also, all phones have to be switched off so that there are no interruptions."

Finn raised his hand looking a bit sheepish. "Excuse me, Ms Pillsbury, but what are the cameras for?" Will seemed just as surprised to see them as well and looked to Emma for answers.

"Finn, the cameras are to keep a record of what happens here, so that there can be no disputing who has said what, just in case the issue can't be dealt with fully within the club."

The boy didn't seem too happy with this information but hadn't time to say anything before Emma continued with a more shocking statement. "Also, for the sake of fairness, I have asked another member of the teaching staff to join us for the day. She should be here any moment now."

Will's face showed his disbelief when Sue walked through the door and took the open seat directly opposite to Finn, while the quarterback was trying to decide if this development would help or hinder his cause. Knowing that she wouldn't be as easy to manipulate, he seemed confident that Will would be unable to stand a full day of Sue's interference and that would help him keep his true nature hidden safely. Already, his plan was falling apart, but since Finn hadn't noticed Sue's scrutiny of his reaction to her arrival he remained blissfully unaware of what was in store for him.

Meanwhile, the rest of the glee club were trying to stay calm and focused as they watched the events unfold before them. Blaine, in particular, was seeing Mr Schuester in an unflattering light. Will was arguing at the door with Ms Pillsbury about Sue's unexpected and unwelcome appearance. Although Blaine had heard a lot from Kurt about the teacher's attitude, seeing it in person was something else, but he was happy knowing that for once Will wasn't going to be able to run the show.

At a discreet cough from Quinn, Emma decided to get the day started and asked everyone to take their seats, assuring the teens that they would _all_have their turn to speak.

"Listen up everyone. I don't want a repeat of yesterday's dramatics; no shouting, definitely no physically violence and you will listen to what your teachers have to say."

The majority of the club rolled their eyes at their clearly oblivious teacher before turning pointedly to Emma and Sue for further instructions. "Just for clarification, who exactly is in charge of this meeting?" Rachel's voice was low, but it didn't shake and Puck gave her hand a gentle squeeze in support, knowing how difficult it was for her to be so close to Finn.

Will started to speak but Sue spoke over him. "Ms Pillsbury will run the discussion today, I will observe and offer help when asked for and, as for Will there, well I'm not entirely clear on what his role is. Emma, any thoughts?"

Trying not to laugh, the counsellor turned to her one time beau and said quietly, "Will your role here is to listen to the kids, answer questions when necessary and then help to enforce the decisions reached today no matter what they are. You can do that, right?"

Knowing he had no real choice in the matter, Will nodded his head in agreement. He did not like how the morning was progressing. Still, as long as Finn had a chance to confront his tormentors and his other students learnt that their actions had consequences, the day could still be successful. In an attempt to claim some authority back he decided that he could at least insist that Finn be given the floor first, so that the poor boy could let Emma and Sue know how he was suffering, but this did not go to plan.

"I'm sorry Will but there is a schedule to follow. Finn will get his chance to share, but first we need to establish or, in this case, rebuild some trust in the group." Emma's voice left no room for any further argument, so Will took the seat that had been assigned to him and waited to see what would happen next.

"Right, everyone, we are going to have a few rounds of Twenty Questions, or maybe you could call it Truth or Truth. This way we can establish a pattern of honesty. To start with, the topics should be relatively easy; favourite colours for example, biggest childhood fear, etcetera, then we can move on to more personal questions. Before you ask, Will, the idea is that most kids have an idea of what the real answers are due to having been friends for years, so when tougher subjects arrive we should have a better idea of if and when someone lies, or is less than fully honest, okay? We'll go alphabetically for the first few sets of questions, so Artie you're first."

As planned, no serious topic was raised during the first few rounds and once more Artie had the floor. The teen paused before addressing Emma, "Ms P, can I ask whoever I want a question?"

At her nod of confirmation, he turned to his stunned glee coach and said, "Mr Schue, this is a two part question. Firstly, would you say you have ever overlooked something that has happened in the choir room and secondly, of all the kids in glee who do you think is the most truthful - the one student who would never lie?"

It took Will a few seconds to compose both himself and his answers, shocked not only to have been included in the groups' questions but also by the manner in which Artie had addressed him. "Think really carefully before answering, we're establishing honestly levels here." Again, the tone of Artie's statement threw the teacher but seeing that Emma was going to allow the questions stand, Will thought before speaking.

"The fact that we are here today shows that I have sometimes missed out on what has been happening between you kids, but it hasn't been a deliberate action on my part. It's not that I'm completely oblivious to what is happening, it's just relationships have a tendency to change so quickly between you, so it can be difficult to keep up. As for the other part of the question, well I don't really like the idea of singling one of you out, but if you insist then I'd pick Mike. That's not to say that I don't trust you all. You know you can always talk to me about anything right?"

There was complete silence after this statement, and Will noticed that Finn wasn't looking very happy, though given his nearness to his bullies this wasn't very shocking. "Do I get a turn to ask a question?" He wanted nothing more than to lighten the atmosphere in the choir room.

Figuring his best bet was the bubbly blonde former cheerleader, Will addressed Brittany. "What was your favourite glee performance so far?" As expected the girl answered with a smile.

"It goes without saying that I'm more talented than most of you here, except Rachel, so if I'm being fair and not choosing me, it would have to be 'Need You Now'. Puckleberry's chemistry was insane as always, don't you think, Finn?"

The question was asked innocently enough, but most of the gleeks saw the brief look of annoyance on their male lead's face before he managed to get his mask back in place. "In fact, perhaps Puck could try out for a duet with B for Sectionals, right Santana?" Again, Brittany seemed unaware to the way her words were affecting Finn but Santana was quick to take advantage of his growing anger.

"Is that my question, hun? I fully believe that it is time for a change, and if Puck doesn't want the lead I'm sure there'll be no shortage of new partners for Ray to sing with."

Will stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair over, the sound echoing in the suddenly still room. "_**I**_ will make the decisions about who sings at competitions, and I won't stand by and watch you push Finn aside to suit your own pettiness."

Noting that Schue's sudden movement had startled Rachel, Sue took charge of the situation.

"Simmer down, Shirley Temple. Santana was making a suggestion, not staging a coup. Perhaps we should take a fifteen minute break so everyone can regroup and Will here can un-bunch his panties!"

Agreeing immediately with her colleague's suggestion, Emma watched as Rachel was whisked away by Kurt and Puck. She saw that Will was trying to reassure Finn, who she felt was beginning to realise that all was not going his way, and Sam seemed to be keeping a firm eye on the quarterback so that he could not escape the room by himself. If Finn had found the first hour disheartening then wait until he learnt was going to happen next.

**A.N. As some of you have pointed out I do like my suspense, and that is not going to change. I know most of you want Finn to be punished straight away, but in this case things are a bit more complicated. Have no fear that Finn will escape justice, the gleeks are just going to have a bit of fun first.**

**Please feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter, and any suggestions you might have. All going to plan there should be another update tomorrow afternoon. **

**Til then thanks for reading ~Carrie**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Many thanks for all the reviews and alerts. **

**I'm truly grateful to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx for giving her time so generously. :)**

Finn wanted to leave the choir room. Things were not going how he had thought they would and, based on how useless Schue had been at protecting him, he knew he could only count on himself to salvage the day.

He was also finding being so close to Rachel very distracting. She wouldn't look at him, and the way the seating was arranged stopped him from having a clear view of her. What he could see and what didn't help him keep a grip on his temper was the fact that Puck seemed to be constantly touching her, making no effort to hide his actions from Finn. Well, if his former friend thought he could steal his girl again, he had a harsh lesson coming his way.

A hand on his shoulder made the teen jump, but to Finn's relief it was only Will, who suggested that maybe the quarterback needed some fresh air before the break was over. Knowing that this would be the perfect opportunity to plan his next move, Finn gave the teacher his best 'little lost boy' look and prepared to leave. He found his journey stalled when Will appeared to be going with him.

"Finn, I'd feel much better if you weren't by yourself, just in case anyone tries to intimidate you. I'm not blind; I've seen how some of the kids have been looking at you and I don't like it."

As much as Finn wanted to be alone to collect himself, his mentor's words were much needed proof that his true self was still hidden and that Schue was still on his side.

"Thanks so much Mr. S, it means so much. I was kind of hurt by your answer earlier; would you mind explaining it to me while we are outside?"

Will couldn't help wincing at the hurt voice Finn used. He felt as if he had once more let this vulnerable boy down, only this time it was due to the manipulation of one of his own students.

"Finn, it's not that I don't think you're honest, but I do know that you have told white lies from time to time and have kept secrets in the past. Since I was being truthful, I had to say Mike. It was nothing personal, okay?"

"I understand now Mr. Schue. I'd never want you to lie. I was just upset, thinking you thought I was a liar or something, you know? I guess I'm more affected by what Puck and Santana have been saying than I thought."

Will grew angry as he heard the tremor in Finn's voice and was more determined than ever to see the guilty ones punished.

"Finn, I'm going back to the choir room to talk to Ms Pillsbury about what's going to happen next; speed up the process a bit. You need the chance to confront your bullies, so take a few moments by yourself to gather your thoughts and I'll see you back there in 5, okay? And remember; never let them see how much they are getting to you."

Finn sighed in relief as his teacher walked briskly in the direction of the school building. He was a lot more confident following their conversation, knowing he had the unwavering support of Schue. Still, he had a few lingering doubts about what would happen next; there was Sue's presence to deal with, though if Will was distracted by her then he would probably miss the moments when Finn's mask slipped slightly.

The most important thing for him to do at the moment was to gain back some control; the unpredictability of the morning had lessened his hold on his emotions and this weakness could not be allowed to continue. Both Emma and Sue seemed to be paying a little bit too much attention to him, not to mention the cameras in the room - they too would have to be dealt with.

Hoping to listen at the door of the choir room, he hurried back, but his plan was foiled by Sue, who was on her way down the corridor. She was quick to announce his presence loudly, alerting Will, who was waiting anxiously for him. Sometimes the teacher's devotion was unwelcome, but for the time being Finn intended to use it fully to his advantage for as long as he could.

Mask firmly in place and his temper under control once more, Finn walked into the room and took his seat, smiling at Ms Pillsbury, who handed him a marker wordlessly. His smile slipped a little.

After Will had taken Finn out of the room, Emma turned to Sue to hear her thoughts on how the day was progressing.

"The Golden Boy is starting to show his nerves already and the kids have barely put any pressure on him. In fact, except for his two questions, they have been practically ignoring him." Sue spoke quietly, not wanting to be overheard.

"Did you notice who was asking the questions? Only Lauren and Brittany were able to look at him directly, and even then Britt tightened her grip on Santana." Glancing around again to check that they were still in private, Emma agreed with Sue's assessment.

"Artie's questions to Will really ruffled their feathers, and I think that Finn is being lulled into a false sense of security. Things could deteriorate real fast, Sue. I really hope we are doing the right thing here."

The cheer leading coach was quick to reassure Emma. "We have this all planned out; no second guessing yourself now. Just look at how Rachel has been acting this morning."

Ms Pillsbury admitted that the girl had lost some of the haunted look in her eyes and, although she was still pale, both Emma and Sue had been comforting by her soft singing earlier. According to Puck she hadn't sung in days and a quiet Rachel was very unsettling.

"I think we should change the schedule." Emma was dragged from her thoughts and turned her full attention back to Sue. "How about we start this session with the Glee Contract; wasn't that what you called it? It will let Finn think he has the upper hand again and allow Will to feel that he's having some role to play."

Sue's devious smile was proof that there was more she wasn't saying, so Emma urged her to continue.

"Here's the thing: we both know Will thinks his star is being bullied, and Finn thinks he is untouchable, which means he is over confident. So, we let both of them think that they're running this part of the show. Finn will have no trouble tying himself in knots and by the time he realises what's really happening he'll be trapped by his own lies and actions."

Emma marvelled at the genius of Sue's argument, happy to have her on their side, no doubt in her mind that Sue's plan would work. She did however have concerns that some of the kids might not see the bigger picture quick enough and she didn't want Rachel to suffer. Again, Sue had thought of everything.

"I've already warned the gleeks this morning." There was a trace of affection in her voice. "They understand and are going to play along."

As Will walked into the room by himself the conversation ended, Emma going to talk with him while Sue left quietly, just in case Hudson had any notion of cornering Rachel. Her concerns were alleviated quickly as the girl in question turned the corner on her way back, her two bodyguards - Mike and Puck - close by. Rachel offered the coach a small smile as she passed. Puck followed her but Mike asked simply if all was on track, relief on his face at Sue's silent nod of agreement and the two turned to head back to the club.

Meeting Finn walking in from the opposite direction, it took a lot of effort for Mike to merely join the rest of the students, all the time wanting to wipe the fake naive look off Finn's face.

"Hurry along Hudson," Sue called out before she too entered the room, eager to be settled so she could observe Finn's state of mind following his break. Noting how he smiled at Emma and seemed more at ease, Sue was sure he had fooled himself into believing that he was once more going to win.

_Let the mind games commence_ was her last thought before she turned back to Emma, who was calling the kids to attention and the next installment of Hudson's Demise, the name she had given to the day's events.

**A.N. Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, indeed this story. I am trying to make future chapters a bit longer, so this may mean I can't update as much as I would like, but so far I'm on schedule for this week.**

**As always I welcome your thoughts and suggestions, so please feel free to drop me a line. Also as a treat the next chapter has a slight change of pace, that I hope you will all enjoy ;) ~Carrie**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any song mentioned in this chapter.**

**A.N. My thanks to all who have taken the time to read this story, for reviewing or adding it to your alerts.**

**Thanks to my wonderful beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx **

**This chapter is a little different but I hope you all enjoy it :)**

Mercedes had spent the duration of the break pacing the hallway outside the auditorium. Both she and Sam had felt it was best to be away from Mr Schue for the time being and also so that they could provide extra privacy to Rachel, Puck and Kurt, who were inside, sitting on the edge of the stage. Little conversation passed between the couple, both aware that they were in danger of losing the slight hold that was keeping their tempers in check. For that reason, the arrival of Artie and Mike was most welcome.

"Lauren sent us. She has some more anger management exercises set up. I've just finished. Artie is going to go back with you; he's here to collect Kurt as well."

Noting the sceptical look on Sam's face, Mike continued, "The girl is a genius when it comes to this. Look how she calmed San down earlier. Trust her, she's trying to help."

Mercedes knew there was something else not being said, but it was Artie who confirmed her suspicion.

"Look, Lauren feels as if she has to make up for yesterday and this is the only practical way she can think of, so let's just get Kurt and be on our way."

Kurt appeared at the door, having caught their slightly raised voices, and he was quick to say goodbye to Rachel and Puck. Accepting the hug Mercedes offered him, Kurt urged his friends to make a move to where the other gleeks were waiting. The break was nearly over and they wanted to reach the choir room before Finn.

Knowing that Rachel would have to leave her sanctuary in the next few minutes, Mike approached her cautiously. She was sitting at the piano, playing random chords. Her eyes were closed, and it looked as if her thoughts were not on the keys but some distant memory.

Mike thought it was a bit strange that Puck was standing slightly off to the side, until he noticed the way his hands were tightly held together, almost as if he was afraid of losing his composure. Of all the gleeks, Puck was the one who had the most to lose if Finn managed to provoke him. He was still on probation and no one wanted to see all the progress he had made since Junior Year wiped out by Hudson's mind games.

Rachel's playing was so quiet that it took Mike a few moments to notice that the random chords had become a distinct song. In fact, it was only as he watched in awe as Puck transformed before him that Mike became aware of the change. Puck's shoulders relaxed and his death grip on his hands eased. Slowly he made his way to sit beside Rachel.

Mike blinked as he realised that it was _Noah_, not Puck, who accompanied Rachel on the piano, both in complete harmony with the other and Mike knew he was privileged to witness this. Both teens in front of him were no longer conscious of his presence. Even without words, the power of the memories evoked by 'Sweet Caroline' was enough to comfort both Rachel and Noah, leaving them ready to once more face Finn.

"Is it time to go back?" Rachel's question startled Mike, who had been caught up in the emotional scene before him. It took him a second to reply.

"Yes Rachel; the coast is clear and Sue is on duty to act as a buffer or diversion if needed."

A small grin lit Puck's face as he imagined the tactics the coach would use in such an event, before sobering again.

Rachel looked to him and said, "It's okay to smile Noah. We've done nothing wrong, right?" There was a hint of her old strength, but as long as the trace of doubt remained, both boys knew that Rachel was still questioning herself.

"Do you need to get anything before we go back? Water? A snack?" As Rachel only shook her head to say no, Puck made his way down from the stage, turning to help her down.

As he released her hand, she gently rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. He felt as if he had been branded and he barely repressed a shiver. Mike, who felt like he was intruding, turned to give them some privacy, but as Puck was aware of just how fragile Rachel was - her shallow breathing giving her away - he slowly lifted her hand to his mouth, applying the lightest kiss to it before letting her walk in front of him.

There had always been a spark between them. Most of their friends thought it was from the week that had dated, but in fact the first time he sang 'Sweet Caroline' to Rachel was the evening of her Bat Mitzvah. She had always seen him as Noah, even when Puck began taking over as his hormones raged and the absence of his father really took hold.

They both knew that something had changed that night, as he sat on the back porch of the Berry house, playing the song he had spent three weeks learning. The adults had long disappeared, so it was just the two of them outside.

_"__Noah, that was so beautiful. You should be a star like me when you get older." Setting his guitar down carefully, he moved closer to her and sighed. _

_"Ray, I can't leave Mom and Becca; we have so little money. That's why I had to sing you the song. Becca needed new clothes and..." He trailed off not know where to look. _

_"__You took time to learn the music, Noah; you put yourself into it, which means I'll remember it forever. You don't have to give me anything else." _

_He would still deny it to this day, but Rachel's words helped heal his broken soul just a fraction and he knew then, as much as a thirteen year old can, that he needed this person in his life forever. He felt her thumb gingerly touch his knuckles so he caught he hand and raising it, kissed it gently. _

_Time stood still, neither able to look away as their heads mover closer together. Puck felt her eyelashes on his cheek as his eyes closed of their own accord. Their lips met like a soft whisper, the lightest of contact. He applied a little more pressure and he was lost, drowning in unfamiliar sensations. _

_Rachel let out a little sigh, opening her lips slightly, and acting purely on instinct Noah let his tongue caress inside her mouth. Rachel's hands moved up to his shirt collar, pulling them closer together, her tongue dancing playfully with his. She moved one hand to the nape of his neck and stroked the hair she found there._

_How long they spent like that neither ever knew, only the fact that they ran out of air, and then the sound of Leroy Berry walking into the kitchen caused them to stop. They stared at one another wordlessly, their hands somehow finding each other and still the silence lingered. _

Puck was called back to the present by the gentle touch of Rachel's hand on his arm, so he tried to push away the lingering emotions of his memories and put all his focus on the girl in front of him. As they walked back towards Glee headquarters, he really wanted to take Rachel's hand in his, but knowing the unnecessary trouble that might cause, he resisted the temptation.

He had noted that Rachel's hands had seemed cold, so he asked softly if she had any extra clothes with her. He was glad to see her open her bag and grab a sweatshirt from it.

"So that's were that disappeared to," he said.

Raising her eyebrows questioningly, Rachel started to hand his McKinley hoody to him, but Puck just rolled his eyes, a feeling of contentment settling in his stomach at the sight of _his_ girl in his clothes.

Soon, the rest of the gleeks joined them, followed by Mr Schue, who made a quick beeline for Ms Pillsbury. Seemingly happier than he had been earlier, Puck assumed the teacher had been told that he would have more involvement in what was to happen next.

Sue strolled in, an odd expression on her face, which Puck put down to Hudson's appearance mere moments after her. He cringed as Schuester practically frogmarched the boy to his seat, giving him an encouraging smile as Emma handed him something.

Puck was just happy that there was plenty of distance between Rachel and Finn, and that his former best friend appeared not to have notice that Rachel had 'Puckerman' emblazoned on the sleeve of her top. No doubt Finn would react badly when that finally caught his eye, but for now Puck was just waiting for him to dig his own grave, metaphorically at least. There were any number of willing volunteers to help him on his way, and by his reckoning the task would only take a few more hours.

**A.N. As a reward for all the suspense and drama, some much needed and long awaited Puckleberry cuteness. Please let me know what you think. **

**My muse is on overdrive at the minute so I'm hoping I may be able to update a bit more over the weekend. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you so much for your kind words on the last chapter, I was anxious about how you would respond, but it seems as if you all love Puckleberry as much as I do.**

**My thanks as always to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx**

**This next chapter is the longest one yet. It contains a lot of important information, so you may need to read this a few times, just in case ;)**

Telling Will that she was going to do a quick head-count before they started again, Emma walked slowly round the room. To her relief, the kids seemed to be doing okay, though she did note the bag of ice Brittany was trying to hide as she held it to Santana's hand. Knowing that a question would have only draw Finn or Will's attention, Emma was happy when Santana made eye contact with her, a small move of her head showing that she was fine.

Turning back towards the front of the room, Emma continued her quick assessment of the gleeks. Rachel seemed to have benefited from the time away, sitting with an almost peaceful expression on her face. The counsellor wondered if either Puck or Rachel realised that they were holding hands. She said nothing on the matter; if Puck was able to offer some comfort to Rachel, then who was Emma to stop it?

"Before we begin, can you all check that your phones are switched off?" The kids were quick to obey Emma, and once they had she continued, "So, I understand that one of the reasons we are here is because of what happened yesterday afternoon. I also know that this is not the first time a disagreement had let to such an incident, although, obviously, yesterday was not a typical reaction."

The room was silent, wondering what Emma would say next. It was important that Mr Schuester was made to realise that nothing about yesterday, or the past few weeks for that matter, were normal even by Glee's crazy standards. As usual, Will failed to notice the tension in the room or listen to what Emma had said.

"Ms Pillsbury, I'm not sure where you got your information from, but yesterday was a once off." Will began.

"Hold up, Schue. Are you seriously telling me that you've never seen the kids fighting before? Calling each other names?" The disbelief in Sue's voice was clear.

"Sue, I know my kids." Again Will tried to defend himself.

"What happened to being honest?" Tina broke through, speaking over the teachers.

"I can think of at least five times when we've verbally attacked one another in front of you, Mr Schuester. Are you honestly expecting me to believe you've forgotten them?"

"Tina, I must say I'm surprised by your attitude..." Knowing that they were getting slightly off point, Emma called them to attention. As Tina made to protest about being ignored, she spoke again. "Will, can you please not interrupt me? It only leads to communication breakdowns. Now, Tina has raised a very important issue, so consider it for a few minutes while everyone else takes a moment to calm down."

Sue, for her part, apologised quickly, though Puck and Blaine caught her wink as the coach checked on Rachel. The raised voices didn't seem to have upset the girl, so Sue could only assume that Puck had explained this part of the plan to her, including a warning of the likelihood of the noise level in the room increasing. At Lauren's suggestion, some of the gleeks had established a way of getting Rachel out of the choir room if things became too difficult; protecting their diva being their main priority.

"May I speak now?" Will was trying to keep his temper in place, but the kids and Sue were making it difficult. "Tina, I'm sorry if you think I'm not being honest. The only times I can remember are when Puck and Quinn betrayed Finn before Sectionals, and when Santana made comments about Finn's appearance last year."

"Of course you'd remember 'Nipplegate'." Santana rolled her eyes. "Seriously, that's it? I'm willing to admit to being mean to most of the gleeks, and that's putting it mildly. You were there a lot of the time, Schue, but I guess it's not really surprising what particular events you choose to remember."

"And how he describes them," Sam added, choosing that moment to join the conversation. "I think it's obvious that we are a very dysfunctional group, but if we are all willing we can make things better. Ms P?"

Silently thanking Sam for the perfect opening, Emma began to explain her idea. "Most clubs have rules - standards that all members have to meet. Glee has an open-door policy, right? No set rules? In theory this is great, but in practice it means you have no real way of dealing with problems within the group. For instance, would I be correct in saying that most of you would like a more consistent way of choosing who sings solos at competitions?"

Seeing that Will was about to complain, Emma continued, "Or choosing your songs? How about if there are other disagreements in the club? What are the consequences of name calling, for example? Or missing practices? I'm sure that the Cheerios have rules in place."

Sue produced what the three former cheerleaders recognised as 'The Book'. Its simple title belittled the importance of the information on its pages. It contained a long list of rules that dictated everything, from how to tie the perfect ponytail to what the punishment would be for attempting to answer Sue back. It had been written over many years, and on the last day of each school year, the head cheerleader was allowed to make adjustments so that the new group of girls would learn from their experiences.

"Teens need discipline," she explained. "They need structure. They need a strong figure to tell them what to do. They have all these crazy hormones raging through them. These kids look to us, their coaches, to guide them. Ask Q how the Cheerios really feel about how I run my squad."

Knowing she had to be careful, Quinn did her best to convince Will that 'The Book' wasn't a bad thing. "Really, Mr Schuester, a bit of direction is a good thing. Knowing that we have limits stops the bitchiness from going too far. And if you're at the top of the pyramid, it's good to know you won't be dropped because of bad feelings between the team."

Watching as Will thought about this information, Finn, who had been wondering where this conversation was going, spoke. "I'm confused. What's this got to do with us and with Glee?"

"Well, Finn, I think we should establish some rules for you guys. Guidelines, if you like. That way everyone knows where they stand if there ever is a problem. And you will all get a chance to contribute. It will be like your legacy for future glee members." Emma answered the boy's question carefully.

Finn liked what he was hearing, blindsided by the thoughts of his legacy at McKinley, just as Ms Pillsbury had planned. The counsellor was also hoping that Finn's vanity would help them when the time to confront him arrived. For now, though, she needed to focus on the matter at hand.

Brittany meanwhile was slightly confused by what Emma was writing on the white board. "Are you after my soul? Isn't that what a contract is for?"

"It is just a more formal way of describing the rules we are going to make for the club," Emma replied. "So, I want you all to take a minute. Think about what you want, and then we can discuss each one and vote. Everyone gets a say, okay?"

The kids got to work and for a short time there was silence in the choir room. Looking around, Sue found it difficult not to laugh at the look on Finn's face. He was busy plotting and seemed unaware that he wasn't hiding his inner thoughts as well as he normally did. She passed a sheet of paper to the boy, telling him to write his ideas on it and then pass it on. Soon enough, all the kids had their thoughts written. Emma took a quick read of the page and then stood by the white board, to write each main point down as it was discussed.

"Right, there are a few suggestions that have been repeated, so we'll deal with them together. First, it seems you have issues with the co-captains. Who wants to take this?" Emma asked, wondering who would speak first.

Mercedes raised her hand. "We've had the same captains since sophomore year, mainly because no one really wanted the job at the time except Ms Berry." There was no hint of anger in Mercedes voice. In fact, the majority heard the girl's open admiration for her former rival. "I'd just like for there to be another vote this year. In case someone wants a go."

"I didn't realise you were unhappy about this, Mercedes," Will said, sounding surprised. He never really thought anyone cared, preferring to leave the work to Rachel.

"I'm not unhappy, but I do think we need to establish what the captain's role is. It could look good on my school application, you know?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I appreciate that, Mercedes, but is that good enough reason to take the job from Rachel?"

Again, Mr Schuester's assumption had the gleeks rolling their eyes.

"Who says the captains have to be a girl and a guy? If Artie was interested, would Finn have to step down, or would it be Rachel?" Mercedes was quick to push any issue what might fluster the boy, and from his intake of breath, she knew she was succeeding.

"I'd be happy to open the captaincy to a vote, if that is what you all want," Will spoke, unaware of the look his male lead threw his way. "As for their role, the co-captains should be you voice. If you feel you need something addressed and don't want to speak to me yourself, then you should go to either or both captains. Also, there are some practical responsibilities, but nothing any one of you can't handle."

"Perhaps Finn could give us some examples?" Tina said slyly, wanting to see how he would react to the question. She knew full well that Finn had never done anything as co-captain.

Wanting to keep Finn on edge and not alert him to the kids' true intentions, Emma moved the conversation on, to Finn's temporary relief. "Santana, you have something to ask?"

"Yes; it's on the issue that we spoke about earlier, about who gets to perform. We need to set up a fairer system - auditions with impartial judges. No offence, Schue, but you're always quick to let us know we have little say in the matter, and your choices don't always work out for us." There was a slight edge to the girl's voice.

Finn chose that moment to put on his best 'little lost boy' look aimed at his mentor, trying to show that this was another attempt to bully him again.

"As I said earlier, Santana, as director I make that call. We had auditions last year before Nationals, which were a disaster. So, why do you really want to change things now?" Will had been swayed by Finn's act, but Santana had been expecting that reaction so held her temper.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you're not known for making smart decisions. Look at your track record. And if you don't agree then I'm out, and I don't think I'll be alone."

"I won't be forced into a decision by a threat Santana." Will snapped at the girl.

Seeing that this was a thorny subject Emma intervened, privately shocked by Will's stubbornness. "Will, just think about it. What Santana and a lot of the kids are looking for is very fair. Where is the harm in letting them audition? Both I and Coach Beiste would be available to help out. And I'm also sure that it would stop rows about favouritism."

The gleeks held their breaths as Mr Schue tried to make up his mind. Finn seemed to realise his mentor was in a corner, and, feeling sure that he could still make the audition process work for him, he spoke up.

"We could try it for our Invitational, right? See how it works."

At Will's look of thanks for his words, Finn smirked. He had once more played the selfless hero, which he would take advantage of as much as possible.

"Next on the list is the issue of discipline within the group. Kurt, the floor is yours." Emma stated, wanting to keep the discussion moving forward.

"I think we should adopt some of the ideas of the Warblers, starting with a zero tolerance on bullying in the club." Kurt spoke slowly, waiting to see if he would be interupted.

Will found it nearly impossible not to react to the hypocrisy of the boy. How was it that someone who knew the pain of being bullied, and yet could subject his step brother to the same treatment, was now speaking about zero tolerance?

Sue noticed Will's thought process and jumped into the conversation. "What else, Porcelain?"

"Most of you know that the Warblers are run by a council. They are responsible for the actions of the club. Certain things carry harsher punishments than others. For example, being late or missing practice usually means not being able to audition for solos. More serious actions like taking liberties with zero tolerance or lying to teachers mean a hearing in front of the club. The punishment in such case is suspension and possible expulsion from the Warblers. Before you ask, Mr Schue, Dalton has much higher standards than McKinley. In fact, because the punishments are so harsh, it is very rare that any action has to be taken. The same can't be said for our club." There could be no doubting the disdain in Kurt's voice as he addressed his teacher.

Not being able to look at his step brother, who was in his line of sight, Kurt turned to Emma and asked if they would be able to apply a similar practice to Glee.

"I really don't like having to repeat myself Kurt, but that decision is mine to make and not Ms Pillsbury's," said Will.

"That right there is a reason why things suck around here." Santana snapped. She knew the plan, and she had helped to put it in place, but Schue was so stubborn that she was in danger of ruining everything. Luckily, Brittany was there to rescue the situation as only she could.

"Maybe he got confused by the Kelly Clarkson song we sung him that time? Coach always said his brain was infected with hair gel." Brittany suggested, out of the blue.

Sue looked fondly at Brittany, proud of the girl for defusing the situation. "Will, stop opening and closing your mouth like a gold fish. Is it any wonder you've never won a national title? Porcelain, tell us more about this system of yours."

Kurt seemed unable to speak for a moment, his eyes darting between Sue and Mr Schue. He pulled himself together and said, "Basically, we all agree on what we will and won't accept. It will mean an end to the petty name calling and will help us keep the personal stuff out of the choir room. Well, as much as we can."

"And how would it be enforced, Kurt?" Emma asked before Will could get a word in.

"That's for the club to decide together, but we need to agree on it today. It is the only way we can move forward."

Pretending to be deep in thought, Sue then brought Finn into the conversation. "You're very quiet, Frankenteen. Aren't you the co-captain of this motley crew? Share your ideas with us. They're sure to be a revelation."

"Sue. That is enough. I won't have you talk to my kids like that," Will said firmly.

"It's okay, Mr Schue. I mean, it's in my job description, right?" The teen was clearly playing his naive role, and if Emma didn't know better, she might have been fooled. Finn thought he was being handed a perfect opportunity to get revenge on those who had dared to question him.

"I think we should have that zero-policy thing Kurt mentioned for bullying. It's the start of the year, so we have time to recruit members if we have to. Or even have temporary suspension, so people could have a second chance."

"That's great thinking, Finn; what else?" Will was eager to let his student finally have a proper say.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but I think we should show you more respect. You're our coach, so you should be treated a certain way. That's important, right, Ms Pillsbury?"

Emma was amazed at how Finn had completely fooled her colleague with a few insincere words, but she was more than happy to let the boy continue to trap himself. "Every coach or faculty member deserves respect, Finn. Not to be lied to, or used in personal vendettas. It is almost as serious an infraction as bullying a fellow student."

Finn's confusion was real for a change. He didn't understand everything Emma had said, but figured she was fully on his side. Will had begun writing more rules on the board - all the issues the kids had brought up.

"I want to be fair here, guys, to everyone. For that reason, I'll agree to have Ms Pillsbury and Coach Beiste help me with auditions. I'll also arrange a vote on the captaincy. Perhaps we can come back to it later today."

"There sounds like there is a 'but' coming, Schue." Sue couldn't help herself from interrupting. Will sounded so patronising and she wondered how the kids stuck with him.

"Sue, please. I'm trying to compromise here. I want the group as a whole to agree to the rules that Finn and Kurt suggested. Ms Pillsbury, would you help us write them so everyone is happy?"

Emma had been recording what had been said, so she was ready to read back what had been discussed.

"If you could all listen carefully for a few minutes," she said, "we can make amendments if needed. All Glee members agree that the club will have a strict zero tolerance to bullying. Glee members will keep any personal problems separate from club business. Anyone who breaks either of these rules will face punishments previously mentioned. Furthermore, any Glee member who either shows disrespect to the club director, or who breaks the honour code of the club, will also face punishment as set out below."

"Sorry, Ms Pillsbury, but what honour code?" Finn was genuinely confused again - something he didn't like.

"It is just another way of describing your idea, Finn, about respecting Mr Schuester and everyone else. It makes the contract more official so people can tell it is a serious document." As Emma hoped, Finn was sidetracked once he heard that it was his idea being used.

"So, punishments. Since this is a new idea, everyone gets a warning. For your first offence, it is a week's suspension from the club. If a competition is on during that time you forfeit any solo you may have. Are we all in agreement?" Will was using his 'strict' voice.

Wanting to assert his authority once more, Will added, "For more serious offences like breaking the honour code, it is a longer suspension for first time, and expulsion from the club if it happens again. Do you all agree?"

All the kids looked at each other, realising the day was going their way.

"If I could just ask something..." Rachel spoke for the first time since the break. "What if there is a conflict of interests? I think we should have another member of staff present, should we have to resort to a punishment."

"That is a good idea, Rachel. For everyone's sake and so that there can be no questioning the club's decision, a mediator is required. If you all agree, I could do it." Emma waited to see if either Will or Finn would question her offer. Will seemed relieved that Emma would volunteer, and Finn's attention was on the sleeve of Rachel's hoody.

"I'm kind of confused, Mr Schue," Brittany said. "But I think we all agreed that lying is wrong. Bullying is wrong. If any of us are caught doing either we can be kicked out of Glee. Have I missed anything?"

"That is a very simple description Brittany, but yes, that is what we all agreed." Emma was glad for Brittany's contribution.

Mr Schuester smiled at the girl, thankful that the kids seemed happy enough with the contract. He wondered if any of them realised that they would have three suspended members before the day was over. To make sure that the kids in question didn't manage to escape punishment he suggested that the contract be typed up straight away and signed by them all. Emma had anticipated this request and had been typing while Will was answering the last few questions. She printed the contracts, handed them to the gleeks, and one to Will, keeping her own copy.

"Right, everyone read through the page in front of you. If you're happy, sign and date at the bottom and then you can have another break while I set the next session up." Emma watched Finn to gage his reaction to the contract in front of him, but as he was still distracted, he merely signed his name, not reading the final draft.

"That was a great job, kids," said Will. "We're really making progress."

"Are you finished with your pep talk yet? Some of us need to eat, Schue." Sue just about managed to contain her disgust at Will's attitude.

Before Will could respond, he heard Emma tell that kids that they had thirty minutes for lunch. He watched as Artie accidently rolled into Finn, halting the taller boy's exit, the gleeks all following Sue in search of food.

"Come on, Finn. Let's get lunch. You did a great job this morning, a real captain and leader."

Finn could hardly wait to see Puck kicked out of the club, knowing it was inevitable thanks to the contract that they had all signed. Rachel may be wearing another guy's clothes, but by the time school was done for the day, both she and the club would be back under his control, where they belonged.

**A.N. So like I said at the start of the chapter there was a lot of information given out. What has happened in the chapter will form the cornerstone of the Gleeks' plan to punish Finn. As one reviewer pointed out recently, I do have a habit of including information that appears very random or out of place, but trust me when I say everything is said or done for a reason.**

**On that note I'll finish for now. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts, your guesses and any questions you may have after reading this. ~Carrie**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Many thanks to all those who read/review/alert this story. **

**I'm especially grateful to my wonderful beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx for all her time and her editing skills :)**

It had been a very trying morning for most of the kids. Getting everything set up took time, and even now they knew that there was still a chance that Finn might manage to escape punishment. Still, as they prepared to have the lunch that Blaine and Brittany had provided, they were staying positive.

"Ray, please try and eat something," Santana said quietly, noting the lack of food in front of the girl.

Silently, Rachel picked at the plate that Santana had given her. She had caught the way Finn had looked at her as she was leaving the choir room. She had recognised it, and she knew what it meant and what it had led to the last time it had appeared on his face. It took her a few minutes to realise that she was crying, tears blinding her view of the auditorium where the group had assembled. She was held in the middle of a memory. A nightmare. And though she tried to wake up, nothing seemed to work.

It was a few days after the breakup with Finn. Earlier in the summer they had bought tickets to a show the local theatre group were holding. Finn had insisted that they still go; they were friends, so things didn't need to be strange. Rachel remembered feeling happy that the evening was going so well. She had thought it was a sign that everything would be okay.

Having an early start the next day, Rachel had politely declined Finn's offer of going for food. He had seemed a bit distracted, but maybe it was her. She was tired from her day watching Becca. The atmosphere in the car had changed slightly when she mentioned that she had spent her day at the Puckermans'.

"Don't let Puck use you, Rachel. You know he's only interested in one thing."

"Not this again, Finn. Anyway, it was my dad who told Sarah I'd babysit." Glad to see her house come into view, Rachel had given Finn a smile, thanking him the evening.

He had insisted on walking her to the door; her dads were away. He was a gentleman. She was relieved to hear the old, laid-back Finn in his voice. Being just friends could work; it just needed some time. After unlocking the door, Rachel had turned to say goodnight, when she made the discovery that Finn was closer than she had thought. She took a step back, but his hand shot out to hold her wrist. There had been a strange glint in his eye that she couldn't place.

"Rachel, I really wish you'd stop being so blind to how Puck sees you. You're so gullible. Look at how Santana is playing you." His grip on her had tightened, and Rachel was unable to speak. "I only want what's best for you. You know that, right? No one will ever understand you like I do, or know you like I do. Think about that. See you soon."

Finn let go of her and walked off, leaving her staring after him, wondering what that had been about. The next morning, when she saw the marks he had left on her, she made excuses for him, both to herself and to Britt who saw the bruises by chance. Finn would never hurt her on purpose.

Gradually, Rachel became aware of her surroundings. The room was quiet, too quiet, except for the sounds of someone trying to catch their breath. Looking around to see which of her friends needed consoling, she noted absently that most of them were watching her, their expressions blank. Brittany's eyes were red and Rachel wanted to reach out to her, but couldn't find the energy to move.

"Ray?" The voice was gentle, from close by. If only she could turn. There was the lightest touch on her hand. It felt so familiar; safe, even. With a lot of effort, she moved her head, and saw Noah. His face was unreadable. She waited to speak. Words seemed difficult to form right at that minute. She was just so tired all of a sudden.

"Would you like some water?" he asked.

Noah always knew what to do, she thought, accepting the drink. Moving slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder. His arm gently touched her hair, a sense of peace filling her. Eyes drifting closed, she took a few deep breaths, the last of her memory leaving her. She moved closer still to Noah, safe for the moment in the shelter of his embrace.

Watching Rachel struggling with her flashback and not being able to help was breaking the hearts of her friends. Knowing that any sudden noise or movement was dangerous, their anger grew at the situation they were in. No way was Finn going to scheme and manipulate his way out this time. A quick look at Rachel told them that any progress she had made had been undone in the last few minutes before lunch. Until she could speak they could only guess as to the cause of her relapse, and therefore they couldn't make plans to stop it from happening again.

Maybe their idea was too stressful to carry out. Would Rachel even be able to face Finn again? Her singing earlier and her questions had led them to believe she was coping, but it was now clear that they were out of the depth. Games were for children, and while it had been satisfying and even distracting to see Finn squirm, the truth was that Rachel was hurting. She needed more help than they could give her. Getting Finn out of Glee was not the solution.

"Britt, are you alright?" Rachel's voice stunned the group. Though it was quiet, barely more than a whisper, in the growing and uneasy silence it was like a scream. "You have been crying and you know San hates when you cry, Britt."

Rachel seemed oblivious to the shocked faces of the gleeks. "I'd go over there and hug you, but my feet won't co-operate." The one-sided conversation continued. "Are none of you going to comfort Brittany?"

Everyone noticed the change in pitch of Rachel's voice; it was slightly hysterical.

"I could hug you, Ray. If you'd let me," Brittany offered. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but a Berry hug was special. Everyone knew that.

Approaching her friend carefully, the girl bent her dancer's body to hug Rachel, while still allowing Puck to keep holding her.

"You know Ray, San's sweet lady kisses make everything better. I know you don't like lady kisses, but maybe Puck could kiss your wrist, if it's still hurting you."

Drawn by Brittany's words, the kids noticed the way Rachel was holding her arm close to her body, the sleeve of the hoody she wore pulled down so her hand was mostly hidden.

"It doesn't hurt Britt. Not my wrist anyway. The hug helped so thanks. Could I have some more water please, Noah?"

Rachel's voice sounded almost normal as Britt backed away, giving her some space and the petite girl took a sip of water.

"I'm sorry I frightened you all." At her friends' instant denials, Rachel offered them the tiniest of smiles. "I can tell I scared you all. I just wish I could control my memories better. I want to take back my life. I hate that Finn still thinks he won me. And I'm letting him get into my head still."

It was the most that Rachel had spoken at one time since the previous Friday. "Do you still want to go back to the choir room?" Mike suggested cautiously, not wanting to scare her. "We could get Ms P and Sue to report him properly."

"I need to follow this through; otherwise this morning will have been for nothing." Taking another large drink of water, Rachel tried to gather her thoughts.

"Rach, please think about yourself," Kurt spoke. "I know you want to protect my family, but you come first. I'll drive you to the police station myself."

Rachel lifted her head from Noah's shoulder and stood up slowly. She could leave, tell her dads and be in a new school by the end of the day, but it wouldn't change anything. She'd be alone again, trying to deal with what had happened. She wasn't the only victim here; the club was suffering. Schue, the blind fool that he was, deserved to have his eyes opened. Even Finn needed help, though honestly that was more for his family's sake. Again, the gleeks watched Rachel; she was pacing slightly but seemed to know where she was.

"I know it won't be easy, but we've come too far to turn back. I can do this. I can." Her decision made, she sat back down by Noah, took the food he offered, and drew strength from the family gathered around her.

Sue watched from the shadows of the stage. Quinn had sent a 911 text that she had responded to at once. Emma was with Will and Finn, ensuring that boy didn't try and approach Rachel. Like the kids, Sue felt it was time to get the police involved. She understood Rachel's need to keep things private, but one look at the girl's face showed how much Finn was still haunting her.

That decision was out of Sue's hands, though. There was nothing to be gained by forcing Rachel. They needed to build her confidence back up; help her regain what Hudson had taken. Sue believed that if the afternoon went as they all hoped it would, Rachel would be able to take the next necessary step, reporting her former boyfriend to the appropriate authorities.

Sue was confident that Finn still had no idea of what had really been going on in the choir room that morning, or what the true meaning of the contract he had signed with no reservation was. She was positive that the boy was, as usual, only thinking of himself. It was this vanity and pride that would be his undoing.

As for Will, here Sue paused. Sure, she didn't really think much of him. As a teacher, his results were mediocre. He was quick to have favourites, easy to manipulate and unwilling to take advice. She had learnt from observing him over the past few years how he disliked any outside interference in his little domain. Still, when the truth emerged, Sue was curious as to how he would react, and what it would take to free him from the spell Finn had him under. Thanks to Quinn and Brittany, they had a smoking gun, but Sue was reluctant to use it unless absolutely necessary.

Hearing footsteps, Sue looked up and saw her former cheerleaders in front of her. Again, she was struck by how worn they looked. Brittany's face showed signs of tears, and Santana was pale beneath her natural colour.

"Rachel says she's ready, but we're not so sure anymore," Quinn began. "She's had panic attacks and nightmares, but I don't think she's been like _that_ before."

Sue gazed over at Rachel. She was sitting once more, Puck close by, listening to Mike. "If she feels she can handle it, she has us to support her, no questions asked. But we need to convince her to get outside help. We're all doing the best we can, but it's not enough. You see that as well, don't you?" Hating the resignation in her ex-head cheerleader's voice, Sue dealt with it as only she could.

"Just because you are all off the squad doesn't mean you can forget what I taught you. Defeat is not an option. Am I making myself clear? Now suck it up. Put your show faces on and annihilate Hudson."

Surprisingly, Sue's tone was what the girls needed to fire up their determination. With a look of gratitude for their old mentor, they went to prepare the rest of the gleeks for what was ahead. Sue, meanwhile, decided to take her own advice, and as she headed out the door she placed a call.

"Burt Hummel? We need to talk."

**A.N. I really wanted to step away from the choir room and show how Finn started his campaign, and the negative side effects his actions have had on Rachel, as well as the gleeks.**

**I know some of you have asked for longer chapters, and are anxious to see the big confrontation. The next two installments are over 5000 words each, and have a lot of twists and turns. As a result they take longer to edit so if I update again as planned tomorrow you will be left with a cliffhanger, and it may be Friday before I can update again. Just wanted to give you all a warning! My thanks as always for reading and reviewing.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the song mentioned.**

**A.N. I appreciate all the reviews the last chapter got. It means so much that you all seem to like this story.**

**Many thanks to my hard working beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx **

**I know a lot of you have been waiting for this chapter; so watch out Finn, the Gleeks are on the warpath. Enjoy :)**

Lunch had been an interesting experience for Finn. While Ms Pillsbury had once again complimented him for being so helpful with the club's new contract, she had been unable or unwilling to tell him what would happen next. She explained that it would be unfair to the other kids, and Finn was happy to see Will's reaction to that statement. His mentor looked angry that Finn's bullies would be given any sort of consideration, but Finn decided to use Emma's answer to his advantage.

"It's fine, Mr Schue. As co-captain, I just want what's best for Glee. We can't blame Ms Pillsbury for wanting to be... I can't think of the right word." He let his voice soften, and all that was missing were some tears. His act worked like a charm.

"'Impartial' is the word you're looking for, Finn," Will said, trying to make eye contact with Emma. The counsellor had been frowning at her phone. A new message seemed to improve her mood slightly, so Will decided not to question her. Emma had been a bit distant with him the past few days; he needed her on his side, on Finn's side, and she was prone to letting her nerves get the better of her during times of tension.

Seeing that both Will and Finn had finished their meals - the boy's large, demolished lunch further proof of his certainty that he was still in control - Emma asked if they would be able to move some furniture in the choir room. Both agreed with this request, curious about why it was necessary. As Will was putting chairs into a large circle, he wondered why there was an extra seat. Was there another teacher joining them? Had one been empty all this time? Or was it just an oversight? After all, the day's events had been a last-minute thing. Just in case, he left the extra chair, and remembered to leave space for Artie's wheelchair.

Finn, meanwhile, had been asked to sort out oversized paper clips into separate groups based on their colour. Thinking that this was more of Ms Pillsbury's O.C.D, the boy agreed easily, spending the time imagining the look on Puck's face when he was kicked out of the club. Finn still hadn't decided if he should push for Santana and Kurt to be expelled as well or not, but he figured he would only push the issue if they refused to accept his rightful role as leader of Glee, and Rachel's boyfriend. This was the start of a new era for the club, and there was not room for doubters or disloyalty any more.

He was dying to see Rachel. It had been too long since he'd had her to himself. A few minutes alone with her would give him the boost he needed. With that in mind, he finished his task and approached Emma. "I'm finished now. Would you mind if I got some air?"

Will overheard him and jumped to answer before Emma had a chance. "I'm sure a few minutes alone will do you good, Finn."

Emma had a feeling she knew what the teen really had in mind. She knew that Rachel was just about holding on, and that an encounter with Finn could push her to breaking point. However, they couldn't let Finn become suspicious, so carefully she said, "Fresh air would help, but maybe Mr Schuester should go too. I know you must be nervous at the minute."

Realising that arguing with Ms Pillsbury might raise some unwanted questions, he agreed to let Will accompany him, positive that he could lose his shadow easy enough. It seemed, however, as if Ms Pillsbury's reminder had made an impact on Mr Schuester, and Finn was only able to get away by saying he needed the bathroom. With a quick glance at his watch, the teacher told Finn to hurry as they were due back to the choir room. Feeling frustrated that his plans had been unsuccessful, Finn tried to calm down, knowing he would need a clear head.

Sue had never been happier to see the gleeks back in the choir room, especially knowing that the giant oaf Hudson was prowling the halls. Though paler than she would have liked, Rachel had let Quinn fix her makeup and tidy up her hair. She was still wearing Puckerman's hoody, her hands hidden beneath the long sleeves. The rest of the kids, though more subdued than before lunch, had their show faces on, a few of them standing in front of Rachel and blocking her from Finn's view. The boy in question strolled into the choir room then, and Sue noticed that he seemed slightly on edge, which she put down to his Schuester shadow.

Emma asked everyone to take their seats, and once again Finn found himself between Lauren and Artie, unable to properly see the object of his obsession. "I know that you have all had a difficult morning, so I thought that we could change things up a bit. I hope your phones are all off." At the murmur of confirmation, Emma continued. "Since you all responded so well to Truth or Truth, I have adapted another popular teen game in the hope of solving any remaining issues you all may have."

"What have you in mind, Ms Pillsbury? Pin the Tail? If so, I volunteer Finn for the role of the donkey, 'cause he is an ass!"

"Sam Evans. I'm shocked at you and your behaviour," Will shouted. "Have you already forgotten the contract you signed, and the penalty for breaking it?"

"Wait. That's in use already?" Sam asked, doing his best imitation of Finn's confused voice.

"It's fine, Mr Schue," Finn spoke quickly, before the teacher could get another outraged word out. "Sam, I know you have problems reading. You're anaemic; isn't that what it's called?" Fully playing the naive card, Finn enjoyed the fond look on Will's face at his deliberate mistake, and continued patronising Sam. "If you need help, Ms P is always available. Or Mr S. But once we signed the contract it means the new rules are in, in ..."

"'Enforced' is the word you're thinking of," Schuester said, coming to the rescue once more. "Let's get back on topic. Sorry for the disruption, Ms Pillsbury."

Trying her best not to give away her delight at Finn falling so neatly into the trap, Emma moved to continue, only for Brittany to raise her hand.

"I'm confused," she said.

"What's the problem Brittany?" Will was at his most condescending.

"Is this part when we can't tell lies and whatever else was on that pretty page I autographed before my power nap?" the blonde asked.

"That's correct. The honour code and the contract are in full effect. Can we move things along?" Will felt that Brittany was trying to stall. No doubt she was put up to it by Santana and Puck, who must have realised by now how much trouble they were in.

"Has anyone any more questions at this time?" Emma's enquiry was greeted with silence, so she got back to her original instructions. "I know that it is common for you play 'Never Have I Ever' at your parties." Ignoring Will's look of surprise she pressed on. "Obviously, there will be no drinking involved in our version. Instead of taking a shot, as is traditional, you get one of these oversized paper clips. The first person to link ten clips together has control of the floor, to discuss anything they want to, with no interruptions."

"What kind of questions can we ask?" Artie inquired with a mischievous look in his eye.

"I have no wish to hear about your shenanigans, gleeks. Keep it PG; you hear me?" Sue barked out.

"I'm not sure that this is suitable, Ms Pillsbury, or how it helps to solve any of our remaining issues." Will was really unsure about this idea.

"For every question that is asked, any student who answers must explain why they acted the way they did, said what they said, and so on," Emma explained. This was a crucial step. "All the kids can learn something, and understand what others may have been feeling at the time, perhaps, or if there was a reason behind their behaviour."

As Finn was so focused on how this was going to help his cause, he spoke up, knowing his approval would convince Mr Schue to let the game go ahead. "That's very smart of you, Ms Pillsbury. Maybe you could ask the first few questions so Mr S can see how it's going to help us."

Will so proud of Finn, and Finn so busy gloating, the two of them both missed the brief smirks on the gleeks' faces.

"If you all agree, I will ask the first two questions, and then it will go alphabetically from there." At the nods of confirmation, Emma asked her first question. "Never have I ever disliked a glee costume."

Almost at once, all the boys looked for a paper clip. "Not the most surprising response," Kurt joked. The fashionista was well known for his wish for more glamorous outfits.

"Maybe we could be a bit more adventurous this year?" Mercedes suggested.

"Just no glitter or feathers," Sam shot back, winking at Kurt.

"Second question: Never have I ever messed up a dance routine."

"Really, Ms Pillsbury you're playing favourites," Mike said, laughing as he was the only boy who didn't get a second clip.

"We can't all be as good as you, Fred Astaire," Lauren joked as she got a clip.

"Okay Artie, let's see what you're got. Don't be afraid to ask a tough question," Santana urged, even though she knew full well what he was about to say.

"Never have I ever deliberately deceived a fellow glee member." As the majority of the club collected a clip, Will held back the retort on his lips. Really, Artie wasn't keeping with the spirit if the game, but if he was being fair, after two years together some deceptions much have occurred. Wanting to contribute, and to remind the kids that he was paying attention, Will suggested that Brittany ask her question.

"As a teacher, should you not know your alphabet Mr Schue? I know you are not book clever, but even I know Blaine has his turn first."

"It's 'book smarts' Britt," Santana corrected as Will just looked puzzled.

"Brittany," the teacher began; he knew that Santana was protective of the girl, and he didn't want to offend the blonde, who he genuinely liked. "Blaine isn't here to have a go, so please..." He never got to finish his sentence as three people spoke simultaneously.

"Are Warblers invisible without their super smart jackets and ties?" This comment was from Brittany, of course.

"Thought you said you weren't oblivious Schue?" Sue cackled.

"I've been here all day Mr Schuester," the boy in question said.

"But why?" Will started to ask only for Finn to surprisingly interrupt.

"Does it really matter, Mr S, if he's here or not?"

"If you don't mind Finn, then it's fine by me," Will said with just the hint of a question. To be honest, Finn was so used to Blaine and Kurt being together the whole time that he hadn't been shocked to see him there. He had assumed that Mr Schuester was aware of the Warbler's presence and even now he couldn't see the harm in having him there. In fact, as he thought about it a bit more, he felt that Kurt would be more likely to give into Finn, in order to not look bad in front of his boyfriend.

"Can we please move on? I have a life, you know, people," came Sue's contribution to the conversation.

"Never have I ever thrown a slushie." Blaine scrunched up his nose before adding, "It's such a strange thing to decide to do. Who started it?"

At Blaine's second question, Finn was thrilled, as it opened the door to show Puck as a long-time bully. In his most innocent voice, he spoke, "This may fall into the personal category. I'm not sure if we should allow the question."

Guessing correctly that Mr Schue was looking for any excuse to highlight the nastier side of Puck, Will jumped to answer the question ahead of Ms Pillsbury. "I think, in light of recent events and what we are trying to achieve here, we can allow questions like this. After all, both Ms Pillsbury and I are here to mediate and solve any lasting ill-feelings within the club."

Emma just looked at Finn as if she were seeking his agreement, not daring to speak in case the boy's defences were raised. Seeing that Finn was too busy plotting, she merely replied, "If the kids all agree I think it can only help, though the rest of the contract is still in effect." As no one seemed to have any problems with this, she urged them to continue.

"I believe, Puck, you were asked a question?"

Even Sue was shocked at the bitter and frankly unprofessional way that Will had addressed his student, but Puck took it in his stride.

"I may have thrown my first slushie in high school, but if my memory is correct, the Slushie facial was Finn's invention our last year of middle school."

"I highly doubt that, Puck, and, quite frankly, I'm surprised that you won't take ownership of your actions," Will spat out.

Seeing that Finn was hiding behind the teacher's outrage, Puck just shrugged his shoulders. "Believe what you want, Schue; why change your habits now?"

"That, Mr Puckerman is a breach of your..." Will started, only for Mike to cut in.

"Actually, Mr Schuester, I was there the day Finn threw the first slushie."

"Mike, you're mistaken. I tripped and spilt it." Finn had been startled by Mike's recollection, only remembering at the last minute that he had been there.

Will was torn; on one hand, he himself had stated that off all the kids, Mike was the most honest, so why would he lie? However, Finn's clumsiness was well-known, so maybe Mike had been mistaken. Having put this theory forward, he was rewarded with a relieved look from Finn, which caused him half a second of doubt until he caught the look exchanged between Puck and Mike. It was clearly an attempt by Puck to undermine Finn.

"Is it my turn yet?" Brittany asked. "I have a great question but I could forget it."

Will was curious as to just what the girl wanted to know.

"Never have I ever spied for Sue," Britt said cheerfully, helping herself to a purple paper clip.

"That's a very strange question, Brittany," Will said, watching as Santana, Puck and Sam all picked up clips as well.

"Sam is winning and I only had one clip so it should make sense. Good statistics."

"I think you mean 'tactics', Britt," Sam replied, before adding, "I guess I'm winning. It's a good feeling."

"I can't wait to win." Brittany smiled, her voice wistful.

"Finn, your turn," Emma said, wondering what the boy would ask. So far the kids' questions had been getting information into the open. By themselves they weren't too troublesome for Finn but by the end of the round, if all went to plan it would be a different scenario, and Emma was eager to be away from Finn. The current co-captain had decided to try and embarrass his main opponents and remind Rachel who her new friends really were. "Never have I ever been caught getting friendly in the janitor's closet."

"That's the best you can think of Finn? Way to go for the jugular." Santana couldn't help laughing at the look of disappointment on his face as the question got no real reaction, other than a few kids picking up paper clips. "Kurt please liven things up a bit."

"Talk about pressure, Santana," Kurt joked lightly. It was indeed time to put a bit more pressure on Finn, but his question would put some focus on Rachel and he could only hope she was ready. "Never have I ever hit or caused a glee member an injury."

Several of the gleeks reached out for paper clips, Emma cutting off Will who looked as though he was about to scream at Kurt. "I have to say that I am very concerned at the history of violence between you all, especially because I did not expect some of you to have acted in this manner."

"I agree, Ms Pillsbury." Will seemed to have regained some hold on his temper. "Some of these incidents I know about, but I'd really like to know why Tina slapped Finn yesterday."

"Actually, Will, I'd like to know who Rachel injured. Can you tell us, Ms Berry?" Emma's voice was gentle.

"I slapped Finn after he lied to me so I would rejoin Glee." Though quiet, Rachel spoke steadily.

"That seems like an extreme reaction," Emma began, only for Will to once more interrupt.

"Don't you always preach non-violence, Rachel? You should have understood the strain that Finn was under at the time."

"Are you trying to tell me, Mr Schuester, that Finn was right to lie to both me and Quinn, just to make his life easier?" Rachel's anger was unmistakable.

"I don't like your tone, Rachel. All I'm trying to say is that teen pregnancy is a very stressful and emotional time. Finn wasn't the only one to lie. Quinn lied to Finn in order to keep him, and you didn't slap her, did you?"

"Mr Schue, you can't honestly mean that, do you?" Quinn was amazed at the lengths Will would go to in order to justify Finn's behaviour. "I'd love to hear your thoughts on the fact that I slapped Rachel at Prom last year, because Finn was once more playing mind games with both of us."

"I think, Quinn, that you should learn to take responsibility for what you have done, instead of blaming Finn," was Will's patronising reply.

Knowing that emotions were running high, and that Will was so caught up by Finn, Emma looked to Lauren, hoping the girl would remember her role. Seeing the tight grip she had on Santana, keeping the fiery Latino in her seat, Emma wondered if there should take a break, but Lauren spoke before the counsellor could make the suggestion.

"Fabray, quit acting like a victim and settle. I have a very important question to ask." To an outsider, Lauren's words may seem harsh and in poor timing. The gleeks, however, recognised them as a warning to try and calm themselves a bit.

Will, of course, couldn't help interfering. "Lauren, as much as I appreciate the help, you should be more polite.

The girl ignored the teacher and took her turn. "Never have I ever backed out of a dare to recreate my role in the Rocky Horror Picture Show." With an evil smirk, Lauren winked at Sam, who always blushed at any mention of his infamous short-shorts.

Accepting his paper clip, he grumbled, "Way to change a subject."

"Lauren's actually helped me to decide what I want to ask," Mercedes trailed off, taking a quick look to see how her friends were doing. Her assessment showed that they were mostly back in control; Finn looked very smug, and just before she spoke she noticed that Rachel and Puck had their hands intertwined.

"Never have I ever wished that Mr Schue would quit with his rapping." As one, the whole group reached for a paper clip. Noting the hurt look on the teacher's face, Finn dropped his hand.

"I haven't rapped in a while, kids. Besides, all I'm trying to do is show that I'm in tune with you musically." It sounded as if Will had been taking lessons from Finn on how to act like a lost boy.

"Maybe you could spend more time paying attention to us, and not what's on our playlists," Tina suggested bitterly.

"As much fun as it is seeing your goldfish impression, Will, can we please move this along?" Sue could barely contain another cackle.

"Mike, the floor is yours," Finn addressed his teammate, embracing his role as captain and wondering what was going to happen next. Before Lauren and Mercedes' questions he had begun to feel uncomfortable; the topics seemed a bit too specific, as if they were trying to prove something. Luckily for him, Will had no intentions of letting his bullies win. Feeling as if he should remind the gleeks about who was really running the show, he turned to Rachel, before Mike had taken his turn.

"Are you cold, Rach? Is that why you've got Puck's sweater on?" He enjoyed her response to the unexpected question. Her face showed him that Rachel didn't want to anger him; she had learnt her lesson the hard way the previous Friday. To his annoyance, it looked as if Puck thought he was in charge of Rachel. But his old friend surprised him.

Ignoring the blatant attempt to start a row, Puck just said, "Mike, let's have some fun."

With a nod of acknowledgement, Mike stated, "Never have I ever taken credit for someone else's work." A flurry of hands reached for the paper clips, and to Will's surprise, that included Finn.

"When you're the quarterback and in glee it can be difficult to get all my homework done, so a few times I may have copied from someone. I can't be the only one to have done this." Finn adding martyr to his list of acting credits, once again offering Will a believable reason to excuse his wrong doing.

Hearing the growing disquiet in the room, Will addressed all his students. "To all those who admitted to Mike's question: what was your reasoning? Some minor copying is bound to happen at some stage in your education."

"Actually, Mr Schuester, I'd rather take a failing grade than take credit for someone else's time and effort." Rachel held her head high as she spoke.

"Honestly, Rachel, that's a very condescending attitude, and I expected more from you. As your only extra-curricular activity is Glee, you have more time on your hands." Again Santana had to be restrained at Will's little speech.

"All that shows, Mr Schuester, is that you have never listened to anything I have ever said. I spend four hours after school each day at extra dance or vocal classes, and still maintain a 3.86 GPA, all without having to resort to cheating." Rachel refused to let Will's attitude upset her.

"I'm sure, under our new honour code, that cheating or plagiarism can be grounds for punishment, right, Ms Pillsbury?" Quinn added her voice to the discussion.

Emma held back a smile. In spite of the raised voices the kids were sticking to the script, and with Finn's focus on ensuring Will was protecting him, the boy was missing a lot of the subtle digs at him. She also knew that things were about to get very interesting for Finn.

"That is an excellent suggestion, Quinn, and I propose that anyone who has trouble with homework could maybe find a glee study-buddy."

Puck couldn't help this laugh at Emma's words. "Really, Ms P, I think Artie deserves a cooler title. He's like the god of tutors, except for Rachel of course."

"Word." Artie's reply came quickly, drawing smiles from most of the gleeks, Rachel included.

"Ms Pillsbury? I've got ten paper clips, so I have the floor, right?" Sam could hardly contain his delight at being the first person to put real pressure on Finn.

"Wait, when did you spy for Sue?" Will asked.

"Listen, Mr Brillo. Trouty Mouth's under my protection. What happened is P&C, so back off." Sue had no trouble lying to Will, daring him to challenge her.

"I'd really like to get advice from Finn. He really comes through for us at Nationals. 'Pretending' is such an amazing song."

Finn was instantly basking in this unexpected praise, so much so that he failed to notice Mike pull a small Dictaphone from an inside pocket of his jacket.

"I was especially impressed with some of the chord progressions you wrote," Sam continued with the smallest hint of wonder.

"Thanks, Sam; that means a lot. I don't claim to be the best at song writing, but being in New York, I just can't explain it," Finn answered.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have the sheet music the band used," Sam started, pausing at Finn's look. "That's okay, isn't it, Finn?"

"I just didn't realise anyone kept a copy," Finn replied, a slight dart of nerves running down his spine. He was beginning to wonder where Sam was going.

"It's a simple enough question, Finn. Relax, dude. I was wondering about the use of the B flat in the second line of the chorus, when the rest of the time it's a sharp. Was there no way to avoid the flat?"

Sam may have been speaking Dutch as far as Finn was concerned, but he knew he would have to bluff an answer and get the conversation moved on before Will discovered the truth. Sometimes being a leader and a role model was more stressful than it was worth.

While Finn was busy concocting his answer, Will was wondering why Sam was so interested in that particular song. He remembered being so proud that Finn had written such a heartfelt song at his first attempt. Finn was clearly uncomfortable with all the praise, being so naturally humble, so Will decided to intervene.

"Sam, I'm sure that Finn can spend some time giving you the details, but at a later stage. There is still a lot to get through, so perhaps Puck can take his turn?" Will found it difficult to mask his anger with the boy.

"Way to ruin things, Mr Schuester." Puck emphasised the teacher's full name. "Okay, let me think. How about this: Never have I ever wished that dear Mr Schue was more aware of what's happening in Glee." With the exception of Finn, all the gleeks took the paper clips offered by Sue.

"First of all, Puck," Will spat out, "that is an inappropriate question. And secondly, I think you will find that I do know exactly what is happening at all times in glee, included the reason for yesterday's chaos."

Taking a breath as he prepared to finally bring Puck to order, Brittany's loud laughter filled the choir room. "Oh, Mr Schuester, you're hysterical. You should be on a stage somewhere." Her words were difficult to hear as she literally shook with laughter.

"Brittany, please, calm down." Will's voice was enough to cause Santana to begin muttering in Spanish under her breath.

"But Mr Schuester, you didn't realise Blaine was here for hours. And you think that Finn is this talented songwriter which is ridiculous. 'My Cup' kicks 'Pretending's ass. Sorry, Puck. At least I can read sheet music, unlike Finn. Telling Sam to get song writing advice from him is like you offering hair styling tips." Brittany had taken Will's words to heart. In fact, few people in the room had heard her speak so coldly before.

To say that Will was speechless was an understatement. Finn however was not. "Britt."

"It is Ms Pierce to you, Finn," she snapped.

"I don't know why you're saying such mean things. Has someone like Santana or Puck been coaching you?"

Finn was hoping for a miracle here. Who would have expected Brittany, of all people, to expose him as a liar? At least it was only about a song.

"You did promise to tell the truth, Brittany," Will cut in, agreeing that the girl had been told what to say. If Sue or Santana had trusted themselves to speak they would have defended Britt, but the girl herself answered the teacher.

"Believe who you want to, Sir. I never lie. Can you say the same about Finn? Quinn, can you take your turn please?" Quinn looked unsure for a moment, but Emma's nod seemed to encourage her to follow Brittany's suggestion.

"Never have I ever lied to a teacher," Quinn said softly. None of the gleeks moved, watching for Finn's reaction.

"Can any of us say we've never told white lies? We're young and still learning." Finn was desperately trying to figure out what was going on. It was becoming clear that these questions were being asked for a particular reason and he didn't want to push his luck in case Will got suspicious. "Ms Pillsbury, can I get a drink of water please?" He needed time to think.

"A break might be a good idea right about now Emma, for everyone." Will was primarily concerned about Finn, though deep in his subconscious the look on Rachel's face was beginning to unsettle him.

"One more question, I think, Will," Emma replied.

"Ms Pillsbury", Tina spoke, "I have my ten clips, so it's my turn, correct?" At Emma's silent confirmation Tina turned to Will and simply stated. "Mr Schuester, I would like for Finn to be removed from Glee, for violating the contract on three occasions in the last half hour."

For thirty seconds there was total silence in the room. Will seemed in shock and Finn could only stare at Tina, wondering why she, of all people, would dare challenge his authority. Did she seriously think she could get away with this? Seeing the looks that were shared by Tina and Puck, Finn's anger grew as he realised who was really behind Tina's declaration.

Will seemed to have found his voice again, and had reached a similar conclusion. "I know what's going on here and I won't allow it. Do you hear me?

"Pull yourself together, Gel Boy. Let the girl talk." Sue took charge. "I mean it Schuester. Let's see how well you handle this next revelation."

"Thank you, Coach Sylvester." Tina gave the woman a small smile. "Mr Schuester, whether you chose to believe me only you can decide, but I have proof of Finn's infractions. However, if you are unwilling to honour the contract you just signed then I propose that the club find a new director, who can do the job properly." Tina took Will's gasp as an acknowledgement of her statement.

"Mr Schuester," Emma spoke to Will almost as if he were a small child. "ALL of the kids are depending on you to act fair and keep your promise. But I agree with Tina. If you are unable to fulfil or meet the requirements a new director will have to be found."

"I can't believe you've been taken in by Puckerman and his henchmen," Will shouted.

"Mr Schuester, please lower your voice." The slightest tremor ran through Rachel's voice. "If you refuse to even listen to us, what is the point of us trying to work together?"

"I won't allow you to bully Finn like this anymore." Will had lowered his voice slightly. "Nor will I allow you dictate to me in my choir room."

"Technically, Curly Sue, it's the glee club's choir room. Try to engage your brain occasionally" was Sue's caustic retort.

"It's very simple, Mr Schuester. Ask Finn some easy questions and his answers will give you the truth." Sam added his voice to the mix.

"It's all a trick; a set up, Mr Schue. You promised my parents you were going to protect me from the bullies." Finn knew he had to get out of that room, and fast.

"One question, Mr Schuester. That's all it will take. Don't we deserve that?" Mercedes had stayed quiet, hoping that she could be seen as a voice of reason and someone that Mr Schue might see as having no hidden agenda. This gamble paid off for the gleeks.

Sensing that Finn was about to crumble before his bullies, Will figured one question could cause little harm, and as club director if it were proven to be true that his male lead had broken the contract, then he would give the minimum punishment.

"I need a second to talk with Finn." Will leaned close to the boy and whispered, "Trust me, Finn; Puck will be sorry for this stunt. I promise."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. It was the best he could get at that minute, plus he had caught sight of Rachel and Puck holding hands, and he needed to get out of that room. "Ask your question." He snapped.

"I've got this, T," Artie said, rolling forward a small bit so he could make eye contact with Finn. "What key did you write 'Pretending' in?"

Will couldn't believe that, of all the questions Finn could have been asked, it really was that simple. Finn, however, did not agree. He had taken the sheet music for the song from Puck's bag, and by the time the boy had discovered the truth, Finn had taken all the credit. He wondered now if Puck would speak up, but when he looked in that direction he wished he hadn't.

Both Rachel and Puck had their eyes closed, Rachel's head resting on Puck's shoulder while the boy caressed her hair gently. Finn's temper was on the verge of being lost, when Artie clicked his fingers. "C'mon Finn, answer the question. Or maybe be a real man and admit the truth."

There was a pause following Artie's words before Finn shouted, "What difference does a key make when Puckerman has his hands on my property?" Something in Finn's tone or words echoed through Rachel. She stood up suddenly, almost knocking her chair.

"It matters because you don't know the real answer. It matters because you can't read music. It matters because you stole someone's song. It matters because you lied. You're still lying to everyone - Mr Schuester, your parents. And all you care about is yourself Finn Hudson. You are tearing this club apart. You are killing your family, destroying your mother's future happiness. Just tell the truth, Finn, or I'll tell Mr Schuester the real reason why Tina hit you yesterday. What happened in the locker room last Friday?"

Rachel's voice caught on her last few words. Her vision was impaired by her tears. Her hand was in a death grip with Noah's and she began to shake violently. All the emotions she had been bottling up in the wake of Finn's attack, that she had been trying to keep at bay all day finally bursting out. Her nerves could take no more and she embraced the darkness of unconsciousness. In the distance she heard an unexpected voice speak.

"What have you done, Finn?"

**A.N. I had so much fun writing this chapter, and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it. I won't leave you all waiting too long for the next chapter.**

**To anyone who has any knowledge of music, I know Sam's question to Finn about flats and sharps sound strange, but Sam is trying to prove a point, so it's not meant to make sense.**

**Was anyone else moved by Mark and Dot's scenes in Props? And how cool was the body swap storyline?**

**Lastly as always thank you for reading, please let me know what you think and I'll be updating again soon. ~Carrie**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, 'Pretending, or 'The Avengers'.**

**A.N. Thank you all for the amazing comments and reviews for the last chapter. **

**As always thanks to xXLittle Rose AngelXx my wonderful beta.**

**This is another long chapter, so I would suggest you read the previous one first, just to avoid any confusion ;) **

Noah had been uncertain that their plan was going to work. More than that, he knew the damage that being so close to Finn was causing Rachel. After her full-on panic attack at lunch he had been prepared to call everything off until Rachel had pulled him aside and tried to reassure him.

"It's not just about me and him." Rachel still trembled when trying to say Finn's name. "He's been destroying us for months now. Lying about you, about Sam; lying to Carole and Burt. It's not just his family he is messing with anymore. But more than anything I won't let him take credit for your music. I know what it means to you. How it keeps Noah alive when you need Puck to protect you."

She finished softly, taking his hand in her own again. Noah struggled to find the words he so desperately wanted to say to her. He had been waiting years to gather his courage and reveal his heart. But one look at the broken girl in front of him told him that the time once more wasn't right.

"Ray?" One word - a question with so many possible meanings. But Rachel knew what she being asked. For years her Noah had been missing, but as her dads always promised her that her best friend was just lost, she was prepared for him to his way back to her. In the past two years, Noah had been making more appearances. The past few days he had been a constant, and now, looking into his eyes, she saw that her Noah was finally home. She wanted to feel the safety only he could give, so she stepped as close as possible to the waiting boy, her heart skipping a beat as he drew her at last into the shelter of his arms and placed a light kiss on her forehead, and both soaked up whatever comfort could be found in this moment.

When the time came to enter the choir room, they had kept the minimum possible distance between them. Noah was unwilling to take any risks where his girl was concerned. If the rest of their friends had noticed the change that had just occurred, not one of the gleeks mentioned it. Each, Noah guessed, were mentally preparing for the showdown ahead. Taking their seats, both he and Rachel closed the distance between them, and Rachel spoke gently for only him to hear.

"Don't be afraid to let Puck take a stand. He's as much of a victim as you are, Noah." The words only confirmed how much she still understood the eight year old boy who had been forced to grow up years too soon; who knew the whole of his story, and, while struggling with her own recent trauma, would not leave her friends unprotected.

"I'm like Dr. Banner - all Zen, but I'm ready to go all Hulk on Hudson if I have to." He offered her a bottle of water as he spoke.

"My very own Avenger," Rachel began, only to stop at Finn's arrival into the choir room.

"Just remember to breathe, Ray. If you need to get out at any time, it's taken care of."

She only answered by taking his hand in her own, allowing Noah to feel her steady pulse.

Thanks to this gesture, Noah was able to act appropriately as the session went on. He would give a look to one of the gleeks, who would draw Schue's or Finn's attention away from Rachel. They all had their own ways of up-ing the pressure on both their targets, and also helping to trap Finn with his lies. Every so often Rachel's pulse would seem a bit too erratic for his liking, but she would just move her head discreetly to confirm they should still continue. Noah was sure that he was close on several occasions to giving in and embracing his desire to teach Finn a very physical lesson, but he was always able to offer sarcastic remarks instead.

When Sam had pressed Finn about his songwriting, it had been a much needed reprieve. Listening to the goofy blonde dropping random musical terms into his awed speech was almost enough to make Noah give the game away. Then Finn just opened his mouth and went on about being inspired by the city, and he was fighting his anger again. Only a handful of people in the room knew the full story behind the song, and its meaning was not as obvious as a first listen would imply. Still, once Schue added his usual useless voice to the conversation, they were forced to move on.

The spotlight was on him. He struggled to find the balance between both sides of his personality, but Schue's attitude made the choice a no-brainer. If the man could only see him as Puck, that is who he'd get. He'd asked his question with as much blatant disrespect and hatred as he could, and the teacher's response was just as they had all predicted.

Noah knew that Brittany was very special. He had for years. She spent her days in this amazing world that wasn't founded in reality. She was prone to saying the most random things which the majority of the school took to mean that the girl was a bit slow. Anyone who had ever taken the time to get to know her, however, saw a very unique girl. Brittany had no time for people who refused to see things from her point of view, who did not believe in magic or who could not see beyond what was right in front of them. She let her inner child control her decisions and her thoughts and she was happy most of the time.

To an outsider it may appear that Sue and Santana had been using her for years, but the opposite was true. If you were lucky enough for Britt to grant you access to the real her, you were privileged. She had shown Santana real love for the first time in the fiery girl's life, so there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for Britt. Sue saw a lot of her sister, Jean, in the girl - someone who was unafraid to be different and who refused to be another soulless robot.

Noah also knew as soon as Schue disrespected the blonde girl that Brittany was going to unleash a side of her personality few people thought she had. He knew the signs; he had them too - when Puck took over he didn't always get a warning. He was sure that once the room was quiet again, Brittany would be distraught at having to embrace that part of her and he vowed he would cheer her up, even if it meant 'rescuing' fish from the local aquarium.

He felt Rachel pull on his hand, her eyes filled with unshed tears, and he realised that she was aware of how hurt Brittany was. He watched as Rachel pulled a small hair pin from beneath her pony tail, and per her silent instructions he passed it to Britt via the gleeks and waited. As Schue's and Finn's attention was on Quinn, Brittany was able to take Rachel's gift, turning it a few times before putting it into her hair.

Noah became concerned by the rapid increase in Rachel's pulse. He had been so caught up in watching the gift exchange that he missed the row that Quinn's question had caused. It was only Schue's use of his full last name that corresponded with a sharp intake of breath from Rachel that really grabbed his attention. He heard her speak, not really focusing on the words, but the shake in her voice - the tell tale sign of her growing unease and discomfort. To his relief, Sue continued Rachel's fight, allowing Noah the chance to very quietly close the last bit of distance between their seats and, as he had hoped, Rachel's head found its way to his shoulder.

Waiting to see if her heart rate was calming down, his other hand stroked her hair, knowing from years of watching the Daddy Berrys that this always worked to soothe Rachel. They both had their eyes closed, allowing the magic of their closeness to bring a small bit of comfort to them. Noah took little notice of what was being said. He knew that the gleeks had it all under control, backed up by Emma and Sue. He was just waiting until he could take Rachel far from the choir room, far away from Hudson and his poison. To where they could once again be 'Noah and Rachel', and all that meant.

He was aware that voices were becoming sharp again and he cursed Hudson for disturbing Rachel. He had no problem hearing the hatred in his old friend's voice, but Finn's description of Rachel as "property" was too much. Puck was about to let loose and talk with his fists, and maybe his steel capped boots, when Rachel Barbra Berry appeared liked a phoenix rising from the ashes of the changeling Rachel, who only wanted to be one half of Finchel. He found himself being pulled to his feet by a girl hardly half his size. He wished he could feel proud of his girl for finally confronting Finn, but already he could see the price she was paying.

Rachel remained standing through sheer willpower, but it was fading fast. Her grip on his hand tightened and he desperately wished he could give her all of his strength. As Rachel began to shake, Noah knew what would happen next, so he move to step behind her, catching her unconscious body in his arms, and retreated to a corner of the choir room. Somewhere at the back of his mind he thought he heard a familiar voice, but for now his priority was Rachel.

Blaine and Artie were by his side in seconds. From nowhere, Blaine had produced a plush blanket and pillow, which he helped arrange around both Noah and the still unconscious Rachel. Vaguely, Noah was aware that Artie had been keeping supplies under his chair, as a few bottles of water also appeared.

"I have smelling salts as well," Artie began. "Not sure they'll work though."

"Her pulse seems to be keeping steady, Wheels, which is a good sign, right, Mr Warbler?" Noah was trying to keep in control. Seeing Rachel all vulnerable like this for the second time that day was scaring him. It was also bringing back painful memories from the previous Friday.

Blaine handed him a soft face cloth that had been soaked in lavender water, and urged him to use it on Rachel. As he complied, Noah saw that the tracks of Rachel's tears had washed away some of her make-up. "Any of you got a camera handy?" he wondered.

Artie's _Mary Poppins_ style bag produced a small digital camera, and, as he handed it over to Noah, Artie found his own distress levels growing. Under Rachel's right eye, a fading bruise became clearer as Noah carefully wiped the remaining tears and foundation from her face.

"Can you get Quinn here alone?" Noah looked pointedly at the chaos that had engulfed the room since Rachel's verbal smack-down on Finn.

"Leave that to me," Blaine said and he slipped away instantly, leaving Artie to take pictures - Noah had his hands full holding Rachel and he was fighting the need to give let Puck out to play. Quinn was with them before Artie had taken the second shot. She handed the boy a Polaroid camera, took the prints of the new photographs and asked Blaine to get them to Sue, who was currently standing guard at the door. There was no chance of anyone leaving the room.

As Rachel stirred slightly in his embrace, Noah concentrated on her again. Her gentle whisper of his name told him that she was regaining consciousness, and a few minutes later her eyes fluttered open. She took the drink he offered, no words passing though either of their lips until the small bottle was empty. In the midst of the continued shouting, they were in their own bubble. Rachel was content to stay there for as long as she could, but, judging from the look on both Artie's and Quinn's faces, she knew it wasn't the right time.

Noting the make-up bag in Quinn's hand, she knew she was being offered a chance to hide her bruises. She heard voices in the room that didn't belong to any of the gleeks or teachers. She knew what their presence meant she but wasn't sure why they were there at that particular moment in time. Turning to Quinn she asked the girl to tidy her up a bit - reduce the trace of her tears but to leave everything else as it was. Quinn looked uncertainly at Rachel, knowing what following her instructions would mean, but Rachel just leaned forward, closed her eyes and waited for her friend to begin her task.

"I hope I didn't worry you too much, Noah?" Rachel asked. As he just raised an eyebrow in response she sighed. "It is okay to admit when you are hurting, Noah, especially when I am trying to apologise."

"Listen to me, Raybear, you never have to say sorry to me, understand?"

Smiling at his use of her old childhood nickname, she relaxed in his arms again.

Quinn stepped away, critically viewing her finished work. "Artie, please take a picture with both cameras." It was an order, not a question and Artie obeyed instantly.

"I don't suppose, Noah, that you have another hoody or sweatshirt close at hand? I seem to have dirtied this one and I would prefer to look as presentable as possible when I speak to our guests," Rachel said hopefully. Thinking for a second, he remembered that Brittany had insisted on having a spare jumper of his earlier that morning, so Quinn went to get it.

"Okay; Wheels, Q, eyes front so no one gets even a glimpse of Ray." Both gleeks complied with Noah's brisk command. Carefully helping her switch hoodies, he placed the one she been wearing for most of the day in a bag under Artie's chair. Blaine was back to pack up his supplies, then the three gleeks made their way back to the middle of the choir room, spreading the word that Rachel was okay and preparing for her grand entrance.

"Ray, you know we can wait, right?" Noah asked, leaving the decision entirely to the girl. After all, it was her nightmare in which they found themselves currently living.

"It's time, Noah. You have all been protecting me, but now that I've started to fight back I need to keep going. Whatever happens, promise me you will protect Kurt." As Noah made to question her, Rachel pressed on. "I mean it, Noah. I know how Finn works and Kurt put himself in danger for me. You all have, but Kurt has to share a house with Finn."

Not wanting to upset Rachel, Noah just took her hand and made his promise. He went to let go, but Rachel just tangled their hands tighter together and moved back towards the ongoing confusion.

"Hello, Mrs Hummel, it's so nice to see you again." Rachel's crystal clear declaration rang through the room, easily silencing the voices that filled the air. Brittany let out a sound that was quickly muffled by Santana's hand, but other than that the only noise for a full four minutes was the ticking of the clock above the door that Sue was still guarding.

Both Finn and his mother had their backs to Rachel, and they simultaneously turned around to face the girl. While Carole had a perfect view of her son's former girlfriend - her stepson's best friend - Finn was prevented from seeing Rachel by a wall of gleeks that stood between them.

"Rachel, can you please tell me what has happened here?" Carole's voice was pained, as if there was more she wanted to say but couldn't. Her eyes widened as Rachel pushed some hair behind her ear - the mark under her right eye was on display for all to see. With a sinking feeling, Carole wondered if she was really seeing a bruise that appeared to be an outline of someone's hand.

She had received a call just after lunch. It had been from the cheerleading coach, urging both Burt and her to witness the capture of the Glee bully. In order to not alert the culprit to their attendance they had been put in the adjoining office that Will used. Though the blinds had been closed, they had front row seats thanks to the live feed provided by two cameras in the choir room.

There were a few times when it had been difficult to watch; Carole's protective instincts were heightened, but strangely her attention was drawn to Rachel a lot of the time. The girl seemed so different from how she used to be when she had visited the Hummel family home. If anything, she appeared smaller than normal, and she was petite to begin with.

When Finn's actions or words recalled Carole to her own son, it was as if she didn't know the boy in front of her. She couldn't understand why Finn refused to answer question after question. She was shocked at his attitude towards cheating and lying to teachers. She knew he wasn't a saint, but this was more than just teenage defiance. As for Mr Schuester, his behaviour did little to reassure Carole that the man was a good influence on her son, or his club.

She noticed that Burt had been very quiet, watching everything and making notes at times. Meeting him had been so unexpected, but she viewed it as a gift. She had not been looking for love when they met, but there was something about this soft-spoken man that appealed to her, that encouraged her to take a risk. He was such a great father, something Finn needed in his life. Carole thought, after Finn's speech at the wedding, that their blended family was just the start of the next stage of their lives, a chance to let go of the sadness from before. Now, though, her instincts were screaming at her that the fairytale was made of glass; that it was full of splinters and cracks that would break with the slightest touch.

Burt must have been thinking the same as he moved near to his wife, his eyes never leaving the TV screen. In order for them not to be overheard, both Carole and Burt had been given headphones, but they weren't really needed as Finn's angry shout filled the choir room and Will's office. Carole reacted without thinking - she had to see her son in person. His voice was not that of the sweet young boy who brought her flowers on her birthday, who spent time bonding with Burt over sports. As she pulled open the connecting door, her husband in her wake, Rachel spoke and Carole's world imploded.

She had always seen Rachel as the daughter she never had but secretly wished for. She had seen more of her that summer, even with Finn gone to camp, and she loved watching Kurt use Blaine and Rachel as life sized models for his costume designs. This was not the same girl. Dressed in a sweater that already was too big for her, the material swamped her tiny frame. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail, though a section of hair was pulled loose, covering part of her face. Rachel's words, in her detached, high-pitched voice took a hold of her and she felt as if her heart was being crushed in a vice. Knowing the moment Rachel used the last of her failing strength, Carole pushed forward and searched out her son, watching in horror as Rachel crumbled into Puck's arms. For the life of her, she couldn't make a sound, but Burt was there to support her. "What have you done, Finn?"

Carole was drawn back to the present, still trying to figure out what she saw on Rachel's face.

"Perhaps we could all take a seat?" Emma sounded calm, though in reality she was wondering what would happen next. For all their planning, neither she nor Sue had ever felt that Rachel would be able to confront Finn. They had agreed to help the gleeks, knowing that if the boy was put on edge he would be easier to deal with. Will's stubborn loyalty had pushed everyone to their limits and Emma had already made a formal complaint to the ethics committee of the Education Board. Now it seemed as if the gleek's plan would succeed, and from the way that Carole Hummel's eyes kept darting between Rachel and Finn, it appeared as if the teen couldn't count on his mother's unwavering support.

"Ms Pillsbury, if I may?" Burt began only for Finn to suddenly find his voice once more.

"What are you doing here? You're ruining everything."

"Finn, don't speak to my Dad like that," Kurt instantly defended his father. Burt smiled fondly at Kurt. He had realised a few days ago that something was wrong, but he also knew his son. If pushed, Kurt would clam up, so when they had spoken that morning he listened to what Kurt had said.

_"__Don't ask questions. I don't want to lie to you, ever. You trust me, right?" At Burt's __confirmation he continued. "I will tell you everything as soon as I can. Now, this is very important: when Coach S calls you later, do as she says, even if you don't understand. Can you do that Dad?" _

_Burt asked his own question in reply "Are you hurt, son? In danger?" _

_"I'm not in danger. I'm surrounded by friends. My heart hurts a bit but it's nothing to do with Blaine." Kurt rushed his answer, knowing he was delaying the glee convoy to school. "Listen Dad, I have to go now, but I need your promise first." _

Burt had sighed, but he trusted his son completely so he made his promise, wondering when he would know that full story. He didn't have to wait long for Sue to get in touch. The coach sounded strange; perhaps it was the absence of her mocking tone that alerted Burt to the seriousness of what was happening. It was this conviction that helped him persuade Carole to stay out of sight until his wifecould wait no more. Hearing Finn's words only hurt because of how they affected Kurt and Carole.

"Finn, please don't speak to your brother like that." Kurt recognised the hidden meaning behind his dad's simple request. Burt had seen the hidden side of Finn and he was trying to protect Carole.

"He is not my brother and you are not my father," Finn spat out.

"Works for me" Kurt snapped back, though he hated the pain on his stepmother's face and the slight flinch Rachel made. This was something she had been trying to prevent at the cost of her own safety.

"Rachel, where are your parents?" Burt couldn't keep looking at Finn. He thought his son's best friend should have her fathers with her. While they may appear to be mild mannered men, there was nothing they wouldn't do for their only child.

"I don't think you're their type Burt, in case you're looking for a new family to crash." Finn was losing all control on his temper.

Carole had had enough. This was not the time or place for what was obviously an extremely serious discussion. With the exception of Will, who was still trying to catch up, the other adults were in agreement with her, but were trying to find a way to move the kids before the school day ended and the student population of McKinley was roaming the halls. Brittany, it seemed, had other ideas.

"No one is leaving until Finn answer's Artie's question. I'm so tired of him telling lies. Plus, we all know that Schue is still a hundred percent wrapped around his not-so-little finger." If her words had been cold before, they were positively glacial now. None of the gleeks moved; they knew that it was unwise to question Britt in her current mood.

Will seemed to have gone into shock from the drama of the last hour. Brittany got up from her seat, handed Will the first page of sheet music with the correct answer highlighted, and demanded of Finn.

"Answer the question, Finn or so help me I will unleash my full wrath on you, and you will be crying for your mother before I have truly begun."

"Or tell the truth and save us from having to expose the true you, the person you keep hidden, until some dares to stand up to you." Rachel added.

It was the last straw for Finn. He knew that Will was not going to help, his mother had been brainwashed by the Hummel father-son tag team, and Puck _still_ had his hands and name all over Rachel. Not even his backup plan to blame the teacher would get him out of this jam. Sue was guarding the door, keeping him from freedom and he had to get out.

For all her clever words and defiance, he recognised the signs that showed that Rachel wasn't as strong as she was pretending to be. If he could get her to faint, and then use Sue's hatred of Will to his advantage, he could possibly salvage the situation enough to escape, find somewhere too isolated and regain control.

He acted without thinking properly. He blamed Schue for everything, especially for persuading Finn that if Puck was found guilty of bullying it would be easy to expel him from the club. He was sorry that he had been so caught up by his petty desire to get back at his old friend for Babygate. Mr Schue was his role model; he followed his lead without question.

Will could do nothing but listen as Finn Hudson transformed before his eyes. The poor boy was having a breakdown caused by the stress of the bullying he had suffered. It was clear that Sue was somehow responsible; her twisted teaching methods had corrupted poor innocent Brittany. So as Finn continued to rant, Will launched a scathing verbal attack on Sue. The coach reacted as Finn hoped, stepping away from the door, leaving enough space for the boy to make his move at just the right moment.

Finn, however, had made a miscalculation in his escape plan. The gleeks suspected that their former team mate would use his lackey Schue as a diversion in order to leave the room. So, while Finn was busy, Artie had rolled over to Sue, who promptly locked the door. Swapping the key for the note Artie had, she read it quickly, relishing the fun she was about to have. Artie's next stop was to Will's office where he used his phone to send a few emails, checked the cameras were still recording the choir room. He left the door to the main office on the latch, locked the door connecting the office and choir room and carefully pushed the spare key under the gap, so anyone could open the door from the other side.

He was back just in time to see Sue step towards Will, and use some of her best insults to tear strips into the teacher. Artie then parked his chair in front of Rachel; he applied the brakes and hoped he would serve as a deterrent should Finn try to get near his former girlfriend. He was, truth be told, a little anxious about getting hurt. He felt Rachel's hand on his shoulder, heard her small whispered thanks and decided he wanted Finn to try his luck. There was more than one reason the gleeks called him 'Wheels'.

A sharp whistle blast rang through the room and the gleeks knew what that signal meant. Sure enough Finn had his hand on the door handle, trying in vain to unlock it. Lauren calmly walked over to the boy, and, using hardly any force at all, pinned him to the wall in an arm-lock.

"Listen to me, and listen good. There is no escape. The only way you are leaving this room is when the police drag your sorry ass out." Lauren may as well have been talking about the weather for all the emotion in her voice. "Now, I'm going to release your arm slowly and you're going to take a seat beside me and your mother. You will answer the question, and then you will tell your poor mother exactly what you've been doing." Finn visibly whitened at Lauren's speech, but still he was not prepared to give in, even now.

As he sat beside Carole, Finn noticed she wouldn't even look at him. Burt was just ending a call on his phone, and at his look Carole took a deep breath.

"I can't even begin to fully understand everything that has been going on. I know that Ms Pillsbury and Coach Sylvester have done their best to help you, to guide you when other's failed in their duty."

Burt took over. "I've made some calls. We are not downplaying what you all have done in trying to protect your friend and how you tried to handle this situation. You all did what you thought was right, but the police are on their way."

"That wasn't your choice to make, Mr Hummel." Rachel sighed. She was so tired of the noise, of the poisonous and hate-filled words that corrupted the choir room. Mostly, she was tired of people making decisions for her. She wanted to get up and walk away from all the chaos and confusion that was surrounding her, but again she couldn't find the energy to make her body obey her. Noah understood, she thought to herself. He will know what to do, so she turned slowly and looked at the boy.

"Ray" he whispered so softly that only she and Burt who was kneeling beside her could hear. "This is the right thing to do. You can't protect Carole by keeping silent. I know that is what you've been doing all this time. Please Ray, trust Burt now, and if you can't then trust me." He was pleading by the end. Rachel must have realised that too.

"I trust you, Noah. I'm so tired, that's all. I don't think I could face any questions or strangers right now. I want my dads, Noah. Remember the sleepovers we used to have? Watching musicals? The black and white ones were always your favourite..." She trailed off knowing she was rambling, but it was enough for Burt.

"I'll make sure there are enough people to speak to the police until you feel ready."

"Can you really do that?" Rachel asked.

"I will. When will your dads be home?" Any further question was disturbed by the turning of a key in a lock, and Coach Beiste appeared, accompanied by two police officers.

"Burt Hummel?" the older of the officers asked. Burt raised his hand and moved to talk to the police.

Brittany moved to the space he had vacated and whispered to Rachel, "You've been so brave all day. I know you are tired. Will you try and sleep while Mr Hummel organises everything?" Britt's words were so soothing, as were the light touches of Noah's hand on her hair, and Rachel found herself drifting off. She was once more wrapped up in the blanket that Artie had stored under his wheel chair. Rachel missed the moment Finn was led out of the room, a stunned Mr Schuester and heartbroken Carole close beside him. She was being lifted gently by Noah as the gleeks prepared to leave the school, while the halls were still empty of students. For that reason they all missed Finn turn to take a lingering look at Rachel, cradled in Puck's arms.

Let the gleeks think they had won. Let them get comfortable. They would learn not to defy him, learn not to humiliate him in front of his mother. Did they really think that he, Finn Hudson, the Golden Child, star quarterback and the leader of Glee, would ever forget what had happened that day? Did Rachel think that a few bruises and tears would rip them apart? She should be grateful he loved her enough to mark her as his property. Let her enjoy Puck's attention while she could. He would have her back soon enough and she would never leave him again.

Finn's thoughts may have been silent, but the cameras that he had long forgotten about had caught his last action, before he left the room. The police thought they had the only copies of the recordings. Sue knew they were mistaken.

**A.N. So Finn is super evil and Will is completely under his spell, but I guess we all knew that already? To any fans of Will and Finn please don't hate me for the character bashing. **

**As always I am interested to hear your thoughts on the chapter, so please leave me a review whenever you can. ~Carrie**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**A.N. I am so lucky to have such amazing readers and reviewers. You guys rock:)**

**Many thanks to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx who is juggling school deadlines and trying to edit my muse's crazy ideas ;)**

If anyone ever asked how he had gotten to the Lima Police Station, Will could honestly say he had no idea, nor did he know how he now found himself in an interview room, waiting to be questioned on the events of the past few days. He felt as if he had failed in his duty to protect Finn. He had broken his promise to that poor boy who clearly had been set up by Puckerman and his minions. The lengths that the bully had gone to were extraordinary, turning both Finn's stepfather and brother against him. Well, if they thought they could shake his faith in Finn, they were gravely mistaken.

Will was also very concerned about how Emma had been acting. First she had stopped returning his calls. Then she was choosing Sue, of all people, as an independent witness. And, judging from the highly inappropriate activities she had used in the choir room, it was clear that poor, sweet Emma had been taken in by Puckerman's lies. He just hoped that the police would hurry up with their questions so that he could go be with Finn and Mrs Hummel. They would need a strong advocate - someone without bias or prejudice to explain how this was a teenage vendetta that had gotten seriously out of control.

Will wondered if Puck's time in Juvie would count against him; maybe some more time behind bars would be a fitting reminder that bullies never win. If it took him the rest of the year, Will vowed to find enough evidence to get Puck expelled and hopefully charged.

That decision made he checked his watch and wondered what was taking so long. He had important information - had witnessed first hand what poor Finn had suffered; the sooner he could tell his story, the better he would feel. A few minutes later an officer entered the room. After introducing himself as Detective James, he asked if Will wanted a drink, and after he declined, the detective explained that their conversation would be recorded and that the questions were just routine at this stage.

"Of course; anything to help. This has been such a distressing day for Finn." Will was impatient to get started and so he missed the surprised reaction his words garnered. Will was informed that he could have an attorney present, but again he declined; he had done nothing wrong and so he had nothing to hide.

To start with, the questions had seemed simple: how Will had become involved with the Glee Club, how he had convinced Finn to join and what his relationships with the other kids were like.

"Would it be fair to say that Finn Hudson is a favourite of yours?" the detective asked. Will had forgotten the man's name almost immediately, but, given the stress of the day, it was perfectly understandable. His somewhat chaotic thoughts were halted by a cough from the detective, so Will tried to find a proper answer.

"I don't have favourites. It would be completely unprofessional. Over the years various students have asked me for help and Finn is no exception."

"What kind of help have they asked for?" The detective's query annoyed Will.

"Not to be rude, but how is this relevant?" Will asked, wishing he could just tell the man about Puckerman. In fact, that's exactly what he would do. "You know, you should really be speaking to Noah Puckerman." At the detective's questioning look, Will continued, "He has had a long standing grudge against Finn, and this is just another attempt to make his victim suffer even more."

"Rest assured, Mr Schuester, we will be speaking to Mr Puckerman, but if you really want to help Finn, please just answer my questions, okay?" The detective spoke slowly, as if he was dealing with a young child. Will, however, remained oblivious to the way he was being addressed; once he heard that the police wanted to help Finn, he felt so relieved. Here was someone else who wanted to help, and was in a position of power to get Puckerman out of their lives once and for all.

"So Mr Schuester, what can you tell me about Rachel Berry?" the detective's question seemed to come from nowhere.

"She's Finn girlfriend, or at least she was until recently. She is a very driven girl, very talented to be sure, but I fear her dreams are bigger than is realistic." Will would never admit this to anyone but he had always been jealous that Rachel would achieve her ambitions where he had failed.

"And how would you describe the relationship between Ms Berry and Finn?" The detective kept his voice neutral though he felt there was a lot the teacher wasn't saying.

"It has always been very volatile. Rachel pursued him while Finn already had a steady girlfriend. She cheated on him a few times as well. Like I said, she's very driven, always determined to get exactly what she wants, and she doesn't seem to mind who gets hurt along the way." Again, Will was reminded of how similar Rachel was to Terri; he would not let Finn be treated the same as he had been.

"Do you think that Finn loves her? Does she love Finn, for that matter?" Detective James guessed that Will had no real idea of what the relationship between the two teens had really been like.

"I think he's going to get his heart broken. She's caused him a lot of pain before, and the last few days she's been with Puckerman full-time. Deliberately, I imagine, as she knows that's the best way to make Finn suffer."

A knock on the door prevented Will from finishing his diatribe. The detective excused himself and conferred with his colleague before returning to finish the interview.

"Are we nearly done here? I know that Finn must be so worried and confused by all that's happened today. I'd like to be there for him and his mother if at all possible." Will hoped the detective would hurry up.

"The interview is over for the moment, but we would like you to stick around if possible." At Will's nod the man continued, "You can't be with Finn while he is being questioned, but as Ms Pillsbury is still here you can wait with her."

With that, Detective James stood up, beckoned for Will to follow him, and he led the teacher to where Emma sat. Leaving the former couple to talk, the detective made his report to his immediate superior, stating his concern that perhaps Will Schuester was suffering from a case of denial, or was in shock. After listening to the recording of Will's interview, with his rambling answers and fixation with Finn, the senior officer agreed. This case was becoming more complicated with every minute that passed. Both men hoped that Ms Pillsbury could get through to Will so he could be more helpful to the investigation, but it was not going to be an easy task.

Emma, for her part, could see that Will was not himself, but when she tried to speak with him, his words killed any remaining sympathy she had. Finn was all he was interested in; the boy's behaviour before the police had arrived had done nothing to show Will that he had been lied to and used by the teen. It was as if he had blocked out the memories to suit his warped view on the events.

Something Will said caught her attention. "I'm sorry could you say that again?"

"It's all Rachel's fault; this whole mess would never have happened if Rachel didn't think so much of herself. Finn and Quinn would still be together, Quinn would never have cheated, Finn would still have a loyal best friend, the other kids in Glee would get more solos and we would have won Nationals last year." Will's voice was getting louder by the minute so Emma tried to intervene.

"You are not thinking clearly, Will. If it were not for Rachel, there would be no Glee Club. You would be a sad accountant stuck in an unhappy marriage to Terri." It was as if Emma had never spoken, as Will continued, really getting into his new theory.

"Rachel is using Puck now, just as she used Finn. She has everyone fooled - turning best friends against one another, trying to split up Finn's new family. Is there nothing that girl won't do to get ahead?"

"Stop this right now, Will, you have no idea what you are talking about." Emma was beginning to lose her patience. How deluded could one man be?

"She's even turned you against me, Emma, don't you see? She knows I can never forgive you for siding with Sue. That's it; the two of them are working together."

"Enough, William. I refuse to listen to anymore of this insanity. Both Sue and I hoped you would see sense, but clearly the kids know you better - you are too far gone. The truth will come out, and when it does you will never forgive yourself, but more importantly, the kids will never forgive you. Goodbye, Mr Schuester." And with that final cutting remark, Emma walked away, whatever small part of her that had still loved Will withering and dying away. He and Finn deserved each other.

Will became aware that his conversation with Emma had gained an audience, though many of the people around were trying to act as if they hadn't been listening to every word that he had exchanged with Emma. A glance at the clock over the main desk of the station told him that it was now almost two hours since they had arrived, and he had yet to see Finn. Will hoped that Emma would eventually see the truth. How awful it must be to have been so easily manipulated by a student. Still, he was more than willing to forgive her, when she eventually realised her mistake, and apologised to Finn for doubting him.

Finn was angry. No, it was more than that. He was furious that he had been escorted from the choir room like a common criminal. He was Finn Hudson, the star of McKinley High School and the most popular boy in the whole of Lima. Police escorts were for the losers of Lima like Puck.

Arriving at the police station, he had been led to an interview room and, though his mother was with him, she had hardly said a word. Mr Schuester had been brought to another room and for that Finn was thankful. The man had proven to be useless as a protector. He had been blindsided by Sue and his team mates. To his cost, he had underestimated the bond that had formed between them during the summer. And Schue had just sat there, putting up feeble protests when Finn had prompted him.

He would have to rethink his strategy, but first he needed to see what the police knew - what Rachel, the disobedient tramp, had told them. The only comfort Finn took from Mr Schue's efforts in the choir room was the teacher's obvious dislike of Puck. He may be able to use that to his advantage somehow.

Finn's planning came to a sudden end with the arrival of two people. The woman identified herself as Helen, a social worker, and the man that accompanied her as Detective Oliver, who had some questions for him.

"Why do I need a social worker?" Finn wondered aloud.

"As you are not yet eighteen and your mother has to be interviewed separately, you need someone here to represent you" Helen answered.

Carole stood up, rested her hand on Finn's shoulder and urged her son to tell the truth, telling him that everything could be sorted out if he was honest. Finn ignored his mother's plea, adding her to the list of people that Puck had stolen from him. As a result, he missed the fresh tears Carole shed as she left the room, knowing that she had failed to get through to Finn.

"Let's just get this over with," Finn demanded. He had places to be and the sooner he was finished, the sooner he could be reunited with Rachel.

Burt hated seeing the distressed look on Carole's face. He wasn't certain about what exactly was happening. Kurt had insisted that his dad stayed with Carole and Finn and that he would be with Rachel. Burt was proud that, even though it was clear that Finn had acted terribly, Kurt still wanted his stepbrother to have his mother and stepfather with him.

He took Carole's hand and urged her to take a seat. They were able to see and hear Finn's interview, but it was not an easy experience. Carole kept repeating "That's not my son, not my Finn" until she registered Burt beside her.

Yet another member of the police joined them. He introduced himself as the senior officer on the case - Sergeant Angelo - and explained that, while Finn was being asked some basic questions, he needed them to answer some queries he had.

How had Finn spent his summer? Had he enjoyed the camp? How was he when he returned home? How was his relationship with Rachel? Did they know who had made the decision to breakup? Burt and Carole answered as best they could, still none the wiser as to what Finn was being accused of.

"Please, can you just tell us what is going on?" Carole was getting frustrated; her suspicions were growing, as was her anxiety.

"Mrs Hummel, I know this is a difficult time for you. I only have a few more questions and then you can rejoin your son." The Sergeant's voice was calming and it helped Carole to focus on the last remaining topics he wanted to discuss.

When offered the chance to go sit with Finn, she refused. Carole knew that she would be no help to Finn, and she doubted he even wanted her there. Burt volunteered to go instead - another sign of the amazing father he was.

"I need you here and Finn would only resent you being there, but thank you for caring," Carole told her husband.

"Mr and Mrs Hummel, I'm going to turn up the sound again so you can hear what is being said." They both acknowledged this statement and moved closer to the window. Carole recognised the tone in Finn's voice as the one he used when she told him something he didn't want to hear. Normally, though, it was caused by trivial matters such as not getting his curfew extended or not getting a new video game. Why could he not just provide the answers the detective wanted?

On the other side of the glass, Finn was becoming increasingly bored. What did it matter if Rachel had broken up with him? Couldn't they see that she was just confused by Puck and Santana? The social worker was really getting on his nerves as well, acting as if she knew him.

"Finn, please just answer the questions Detective Oliver has for you. He is not trying to trap you; we just need to hear your side of the story," Helen spoke, trying to get the sullen teen to cooperate.

"I just don't see the point of all this. It's a private matter between me and Rachel," he snapped.

"Can you explain what happened today?" Detective Oliver asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. It was all Mr Schuester's idea. He found out that I was being bullied by Puck so he asked Ms Pillsbury to help us deal with it." 'Little-boy-lost' Finn appeared suddenly as inspiration hit. It was time to use his back-up plan, with just a few minor adjustments.

Just when Will thought his day couldn't get any worse, two things happened. Firstly, Carole Hummel came flying out of an interview room, Burt close behind, trying to restrain his wife.

"What's happening, Mrs Hummel?" Will asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Don't you dare talk to me Will Schuester," Carole shouted. The detective who had interviewed him earlier emerged from a different room, and was joined by another officer.

"Mr Schuester, we need you to come with us and answer some more questions," Detective James stated.

"Can someone please tell me what is wrong?" Will demanded.

"You really need to come with us now, sir," The unnamed officer said firmly. "You don't want to have this discussion in public." he added.

"I'm not going anywhere until someone explains what is happening here." Will said.

Detective James stepped closer to Will and spoke so no one other than the stunned teacher could hear his answer.

"Finn Hudson has just accused you of having an inappropriate relationship with him. So please follow me so we can talk about this in private."

Wordlessly, Will allowed himself to be led to an interview room, wondering the whole time what had caused Finn to make such a statement. Somehow the seriousness of the situation he found himself in pierced through the fog of shock and allowed him to request that his attorney be called. This, however, was only a temporary reprieve. As he was left alone to wait for the interview to start, a thought struck him that broke his tenuous grip on sanity; here was further proof that Rachel Berry was responsible for ruining his life.

**A.N. More proof of Will's stupidity and Finn's selfishness, though has Finn made a mistake with his accusations? Can Will ever face up to the truth? Again I hope readers are not upset by the character bashing, no flames please ;)**

**I'm dreading tonight's episode. It will be sad and if the promo is any indication, my Puckleberry dream will never be a reality on screen again:(**

**At least I have your comments and reviews to look forward to, I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions, so get in touch please :)~Carrie**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you to all who continue to read/alert and review this story of mine. A special mention to my 200th reviewer 'frustratedwriter13' :)**

**Thanks as always to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx  
**

The gleeks had reached the Berry residence with little trouble. Mike had driven Rachel and Noah to the house as the small diva lay sleeping in Noah's arms. They were almost the lasts ones back, but, entering the house, it was clear that the gleeks had been busy straight away.

Brittany beckoned to Noah from the sitting room and he could see that she had prepared the sofa for Rachel. The mountain of soft pillows and comforters looked very inviting, and in the background piano music could be heard playing through the sound system. Lately, Rachel had been unable to sleep properly if it was too quiet, complete silence affecting her in the same way that sudden loud noises upset her.

It seemed, though, that Rachel had no intention of loosening her grip on Noah, so he allowed himself to be tucked up by a smiling Britt, and he welcomed the slight weight of Rachel's body as it rested beside him. It was a tangible sign that she was close. He hummed a tune in her ear - an old favourite from years ago - and found himself drifting off to sleep, safe in the knowledge that the gleeks were on guard duty just then.

Sue arrived not long after Puck had given into his tiredness. She called Mike and Sam over, and, after a brief discussion, the boys left the house while Sue made her way to the kitchen where most of the kids were gathered.

"Any word from Ms P?" Quinn asked; it was what they all wanted to know.

"The police have separated Finn and Schue so they can be interviewed, but until Rachel talks to them their hands are tied," Sue replied.

"So it was all for nothing, then? Putting Rachel through that?" Tina angrily said.

"No, Tina, it counts. You stood up to Schue and made your feelings clear. No matter what happens, Emma and I won't ever let him forget. Do you hear me? All of you?" Sue understood Tina's frustration - she was feeling the same way - but giving up was not an option.

"Coach is right; we knew it wouldn't be easy but we showed Finn that we were onto him. He knows he doesn't own us," Lauren spoke. She had realised that, far from being an outsider, she was very much a gleek at heart. The thirteen of them, including Blaine, would always stand together and if someone felt weak then she would protect them. She might not be the strongest singer or the best dancer but when it came to family none of that mattered. It hit her then that Puck wasn't the only person she had saved last year; she had rescued herself without ever realising she was lost.

Santana could tell that Lauren was finally seeing herself as they did. She couldn't lie and say that she had always liked the girl - Brittany hated when she wasn't honest and Santana had no desire to hurt her - but seeing the way that Lauren dealt with the knowledge that Puck was in love with Rachel, though in serious denial, and had ended their relationship without hurting the vulnerable boy beneath the 'Puck' mask, earned her Santana's respect. She had made it her mission to make Lauren realise her contribution to the club, and had embraced her anger management advice. Who knew that there were so many options other than hair pulling? Most importantly, she hoped that, when things eventually settled, Lauren would stay with the gleeks, even if she didn't take part in competitions. She shouldn't distance herself either. Lauren was more than just a bodyguard and Santana was determined to show her that, even if it meant more ice packs and broken nails.

"So what happens now? We can't just sit around waiting." Tina was anxious; everything was still so uncertain, which she hated. She was also wondering where Mike and Sam had gone, but when she had asked, Sue had just told her to have patience. Tina liked how the cheerleading coach spoke to them. She may be abrupt or abrasive at times, but she never lied to them or ignored their concerns.

"Right, gleeks, the latest update is that Will's having a breakdown or meltdown or some such hissy fit. Nothing helpful, that's for sure. Ms Pillsbury is being interviewed and will stay at the station for the time being. She thinks Rachel's interview will be tomorrow but that all depends on how things go there. That's all she knows so we need to decide how you're all going to spend the evening." Sue shut her phone, wishing the message from Emma had contained better news.

The gleeks, knowing that they had better make contact with their parents and think about getting food ready, set about following Sue's last instruction.

Quinn froze as a thought struck her. "What about the choir room? We never tidied it up and what about school tomorrow? Rach is not ready to go back and I won't leave her and..."

"Q, stop that right now." Sue's voice was sharp but not unkind. "One thing at a time, okay? I sorted the choir room; there is no sign that anyone was ever there today. I'm not sure about tomorrow. If you are all missing it may create talk. Let's just get through the next few hours and we'll go from there, okay?"

Once again, the normalcy of Sue's voice and her instructions helped the kids. Lauren made her way over to Quinn and found a way to keep the girl's mind off the unknown, instead making her concentrate on making plausible cover stories in case they were needed. Mercedes and Tina were starting food preparation under Brittany's watchful eye.

Britt had left her beloved 'Puckleberry', as she referred to Rachel and Noah whenever possible, sleeping peacefully in the sitting room and wanted to have a meal ready for when they woke up. Though she hated having to use her grown up attitude, the presence of the sparkling hair clip from Rachel was proof it was worth it. Brittany knew she would only get her friend back fully when Finn was taken away, and, as far as she was concerned, Mr Schuester should join him.

Kurt and Blaine were sitting on the back porch of the house; the smaller boy was staring at his phone as if he could will it to ring. Blaine was worried about his boyfriend, knowing how much Kurt wanted his father with him, but how he had put on a brave face so Carole would have support when Finn's crimes were revealed. Only it had been two hours ago and there had been no contact since Burt had sent a message saying they had arrived at the police station.

As Kurt began pacing, Blaine struggled to find any words to reassure him. Honestly, he was struggling to just come to terms with what had taken place at McKinley; to have seen a teacher show that much hostility towards a student. Being so blind to the manipulation of his star pupil was bad enough, but the way Mr Schuester had blatantly discarded Rachel's undeniable pain and terror in order to shield Finn was both morally wrong and unforgiveable. How Blaine wished he could convince the headmaster at Dalton to accept Rachel as a student there, and for Kurt to transfer back, so the two people he cared the most about would be safe.

The back door opened and Sue appeared. With one look she assessed the situation, thinking of how this was not the time to be flippant. Her words may have seemed out of character but it was important that all of the Glee family remained as calm as possible.

"Kurt, I just heard from Ms Pillsbury. She's on her way here from the police station and your dad is with her. There has been an unforseen development that changes things."

Blaine attempted to ask a question but Kurt got there first.

"What are you not saying?" Both boys had noticed that the small buzz of activity had ceased from within the house, though music could be heard faintly.

"It's best to wait for your dad. You should all hear the news at the same time." Sue was firm, so the two boys knew better than to try and convince her to change her mind. "Blaine, do your parents know where you are?"

"It's just my mom and me at home at the minute - my dad is overseas - but she knew I needed a few personal days from school, just not the whole story. Luckily, she trusts me, although I did promise that a teacher would call to explain things to her. Could you?"

Sue quickly agreed; she would be making a lot of calls to parents and guardians of the kids before the evening was through. Once again, Finn Hudson's selfishness was disrupting lives, and he neither knew nor cared who was affected. The coach pushed those thoughts aside and, after getting Mrs Anderson's number from Blaine, she ushered the couple inside the house and watched as Mercedes handed them warm drinks.

The remaining gleeks were scattered around the kitchen, pretending to eat. Most were lost in their thoughts as they awaited the arrival of Emma and Burt. Blaine wondered when Sam and Mike would return from their errands and if their absence would delay the update. Sue approached him, her phone call to his mother made. Now Mrs Anderson wanted to speak to her son and wanted to check for herself that Blaine was okay.

Kurt, meanwhile, went to stand by Artie, who had given up all pretence of eating and had resumed his somewhat frantic typing on his laptop. Not wanting to disturb his friend, Kurt just took a seat close by, not really understanding what Artie was doing even when a familiar logo caught his eye.

"Is that Jacob's blog?" he whispered, hoping that Rachel's obsessed stalker had not found out her secret. As far as most of the gleeks were aware, Coach Beiste had been supervising the boy all day.

"Don't panic, Kurt," Artie said. "I'm just hacking his system so that if he tries to post anything about Rach, no matter how innocent he might think it was his account will be frozen. He'll be locked out and if he's lucky the memory on his computer won't delete itself." Artie sounded exceptionally proud of himself and his hacker skills, which were one of his lesser known talents.

"Do you know where the boys went?" Tina had joined them; there had been radio silence for a few hours and she just wanted to hear from her boyfriend.

"They are collecting a parcel for Sue - she said it was vital - but aside from that I know nothing." Artie replied.

"I just wish they'd get here soon. I don't like when we're split up." Tina hated feeling like this - so powerless, afraid even - but if they were separated they were more vulnerable. To her relief, Sam and Mike chose that moment to return, Burt and Emma following in their wake. Mike headed straight for Tina, while Sam stayed back to talk rapidly with Sue, before he was sent into the kitchen with orders to eat something.

Upon their arrival, Lauren and Mercedes had been getting meals ready for the boys, and both were grateful for the food. "Sam, what happened to your shirt?" Mercedes began only for Sue to cut in.

"There'll be time enough for that later, kids. Are Rachel and Noah still sleeping?" None of the listening gleeks missed the coach's use of Puck's given name.

"Yes, they are, and you are not to wake them, understand?" Brittany stood in the door that connected both rooms, her pinkie linked with Santana's.

"It's fine, Britt. I'd be happier if they got as much rest as possible. Can you please just check they're still asleep?" Sue kept her voice low and watched as Brittany made sure the couple had not been disturbed. The fond look on Britt's face as she fixed the comforter around Noah, gently caressed his hair and blew a kiss to Rachel , helped to ease some of the tension that was coursing through Sue, much to the coach's relief.

The sight of the Hummel father-son reunion also helped Sue; she was especially protective of Kurt and had been ever since the time she had been unable to protect him from the bullies who had driven him out of McKinley.

"If everyone could gather at the table, we can get started." The gleeks obeyed Sue immediately, anxious to know the latest.

"So, there have been some developments. Complications, really," Emma began. "The good news is that Finn will more than likely be staying the night where he is, at the police station. If, for any reason, he spends the time anywhere else, he will have no choice but to abide by strict conditions, staying away from Rachel being the main one." She stopped as the gleeks went to ask a million questions at the same time, and she held up a hand to stop them."Please let me tell you everything, and then if you still have questions I will do my best to answer them." They all stayed quiet, so Emma continued. "Finn hasn't been arrested or charged because, while the police know that something serious has happened, until Rachel makes a statement they can't really proceed. I have been interviewed and I told them as much as I could without breaking my promise to Rachel. It seems to be enough information for the time being to warrant an investigation." Emma paused, trying to figure out how to best word the next part of her story.

"What are you leaving out?" Mike was nothing but direct.

"Finn still doesn't know what has been said; if Rachel has accused him of anything. All he knows is that he is suspected of something, and, in an attempt to throw the police, he's made an accusation against Mr Schuester - that he has been mistreated by Will." Burt had taken up the narrative but the kids knew he was still withholding something from them.

"Dad, don't lie to us. What exactly has Finn said?" Kurt knew his dad wasn't being dishonest, just trying to protect Carole. Seeing Burt's struggle, Emma took over.

"Finn has claimed that Mr Schuester has had an inappropriate relationship with him, and has also hinted that there are more victims within the club." Gasps of shock greeted this revelation.

"He's really prepared to let Schue take the fall?" Santana said out loud at last. "I'm not surprised; it's not like he hasn't done this sort of thing before, but why burn that particular bridge?" The girl was speaking from personal experience, having been used by Finn as a scapegoat one too many times. "He has to know he has no supporters other than Schue." she added.

"I heard the interview, witnessed him say the words. He went from being sullen to naive in the blink if an eye," Burt told them.

"He always has a backup plan, but I don't think even Finn himself ever thought he'd have to use it so soon." Mike had seen Finn's deceit in practice for many years, but this cold-hearted behaviour was a new low.

"I'm going to sound like such a horrible person, but I can't help feeling that Mr Schuester deserves this somehow." Quinn played absentmindedly with the cross that hung on a chain around her neck.

"I know what you mean," Mercedes agreed. "We gave him so many chances to see the truth about Finn and he wouldn't. Did the two of you speak at the police station, Ms P?" It was a question that Emma had hoped none of the gleeks would ask. She couldn't be dishonest, but she knew what the truth would mean. "I'm guessing from your reaction that it's not good. It's not as if we were expecting a miracle. Do you know if Finn's accusations have at least broken through Will's twisted version of reality?"

Again, Mercedes got her answer from the pained look on Emma's face. There was another betrayal and rejection from their director. Their former director, at this stage. It was a foregone conclusion, but Mercedes had clung to the hope that Mr Schue might have found a way to redeem himself. This time it was Emma's turn to read the sadness in Mercedes face.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting or hoping that Mr Schuester has a change of heart and opinion, for wanting him to see beyond Finn's lies. I want that as much as any of you do, but it doesn't seem very likely, for now at least."

Kurt turned to his father for guidance. He really wanted to spend a few minutes alone with Burt, but knew he would have to wait.

"As a result of Finn's statement, the entire club will have to speak to the police. Your parents are all being contacted and given times for your interviews tomorrow. I expect most of you have missed calls or messages from home, so in a few minutes you should check, okay?" Emma announced. The majority of phones were on silent and the rest had remained off all day. "Anyone under eighteen will have a parent or guardian with them when questioned. Just be honest and don't be afraid. Remember that none of you have done anything wrong." Emma explained the procedure to them as best she could. She also had some written information for them from the officer leading the investigation.

"Do we go to them, or will they come here?" Brittany asked.

"I know you don't want to leave Rachel, Britt." Sue sounded very understanding. "I'm sure arrangements can be made to suit everyone, but most of you will have to go to the station."

"Can you stay with me, Coach?" Brittany wanted to know. "The police won't get me, and I can't let Ray down, not like I did before." The normally bubbly girl was visibly upset. She allowed herself be comforted by Santana before Sue took her hand.

"Britt, you never let Rachel down. I was so proud of how you refused to let Finn get away with anything this afternoon. I also saw how you helped Rachel at lunchtime - how you knew exactly what to say to her to bring her back from her nightmare. I will be with you tomorrow." She looked around at the rest of the teens."If any of you want me there for your interview, just tell me. I have your backs."

Emma added her assurance that she too would accompany anyone who needed extra support.

"Wait, what about Rachel? Her dads won't be back until late Friday night." Blaine was suddenly anxious again.

"We've been trying to get in touch with them since this afternoon, but so far there has been no reply. You can be sure, though, that Rachel won't be alone when the time comes for her to speak with the police."

Emma's words worried the gleeks, but there was nothing they could do except wait for the Daddy Berrys to call.

Artie's laptop began to beep and, after a quick glance, he smirked. "Looks like Jacob Ben Israel is frozen out of his own website."

Sam growled at this news, gaining startled responses from his friends.

"Nice work, Wheels," Sue praised Artie's forward planning that would keep Jacob and his blog out of commission.

Emma and Burt announced their plan to return to the station, and offered to drive any gleeks who needed to get home. Kurt took the opportunity to drag his dad to one side for a private conversation. He wanted to check on Carole. No matter what Finn said regarding his dad's role in his life, the former Mrs Hudson was an important addition to his family. Burt did his best to reassure his son, adding that it was probably a good idea for Kurt to stay with Rachel and those gleeks who were spending the night at the Berry house. Those with stricter parents, such as Tina, Quinn and Mike, had been summoned home once the calls from the police had been made and Emma was going to speak to them.

Altogether, there would be five gleeks staying, not including Rachel, and there were plenty of rooms available for them all to have some space to unwind. The plan was for the entire club to meet up the next day, when their interviews had taken place. Sue was going to stay in case Rachel or any of the gleeks needed an adult at any time. This knowledge made Burt feel a little bit happier about leaving Kurt behind, while he returned to his wife. Kurt made his dad promise to inform him if there was even the smallest development or change in situation.

The departing gleeks had gathered up their belongings and headed quietly for the door, after exchanging goodbyes with those who were staying. Brittany was back on guard duty, though Rachel and Noah appeared to be still out for the count.

After locking up the house, Sue felt that it was best that the remaining kids get some rest. It had been another long and extremely emotional day. Tomorrow would not be any easier, especially if they were tired. Both Santana and Brittany recognised Sue's no-nonsense tone, and their compliance overcame any protest Kurt or Blaine might have made.

"I'll stay here in the kitchen; I can hear if either of them move or need anything. If they're not awake in the next hour, I'll call Noah and get Rachel settled in her room upstairs. Maybe Britt, you and Kurt can see that it's ready before you go to lie down?"

Leading Kurt upstairs by his pinkie, Brittany was glad she had a project to focus on. If only Mr Schuester had taken the time to get to know her better like Sue had.

"Don't be sad, Britt." Kurt hated the slight frown that marred her face.

"I'll be fine Kurt. Coach S was right; I am tired." Brittany decided that, while Sue was around, the coach could be the grown up and she could relax her guard a little bit; go to her happy place that Finn Hudson would never be able to destroy.

So it was a very relieved Sue who, half an hour later, looked in on the soundly sleeping quartet of gleeks, who were sharing one room. She closed the door softly behind her, and made her way downstairs ready to wake Noah. A creaking floorboard had her rushing to her destination. The front door clicked shut and she froze. From her vantage point she saw the unexpected visitors emerge from the shadows of the darkened hall. Leroy and Hiram Berry had returned home.

**A.N. Sorry for the delay in updating, but summer has decided to visit Ireland for a change so I have been soaking up some Vitamin D. Also my hard-working beta has assignments and finals for the next few weeks, but rest assured I'm busy writing even if the updates are not as frequent as when I first began.**

**I really want to talk about the last episode of the season, but as I know that not everyone has seen it yet, all I can say is that I hope you all caught the amazing Puckleberry moment that is on constant replay in my house :)**

**Lastly to all my amazing reader and reviewers, I now have over 200 reviews, and it is more than I ever dared to dream of when I started writing this. All I can say is a very sincere 'Thank You' ~Carrie**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee **

**A.N. My thanks as always to you reading this right now, and to those who review are add my story to their alerts. You Rock!**

**To my wonderful beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx I send virtual hugs for never complaining when I ramble, and for your dedication to this story. :)**

Noah had spent the short journey from McKinley to Rachel's house with his arms wrapped tightly around the sleeping girl. He was worried that the afternoon had used the last of her reserves. His girl was determined and strong but, given the pressure she had been under, Noah was concerned that any interview the police would need to conduct with Rachel would be too much for her fragile, emotional state. He knew, however, that without a statement, Finn couldn't be charged. He was just hoping that Burt had convinced the police to at least wait until the next day, so Rachel would have a chance to rest as much as possible.

After Brittany had seen himself and Rachel settled on the sofa, Noah continued to hum songs from their childhood and memories from those times came flooding back. Not all of them were happy, but the one recurring theme was the constant presence of Rachel. The best memories were those before Puck made his first appearance; before his father had walked out on him and his family. Even on the bad days Rachel had found a way to reach through the haze of despair, as only a young child could.

_They were sitting on the front steps outside the Puckerman house. Both of her dads were inside talking to his mother, while Becca, his baby sister, slept in her crib. Rachel had never known Noah to be so quiet, so still. She took his hand in her own and whispered his name, almost afraid to break the growing silence. He just laid his head on her shoulder; eyes closed tight trying to stop any tears from escaping. Rachel traced random patterns into his hair with her free hand, trying to offer some small comfort to her best friend. _

_Normally she babbled when she was uncertain, but her dads had talked to her before they had made their way over to the Puckerman's. They explained that Noah would be sad, angry too and he might even say some mean things to her, but Rachel was to ignore it. Noah needed her to be there for him and they knew that she would be able to help him. So she waited for Noah to speak; she didn't want to say anything that might upset him even more. _

_"__Mom says he's not coming back," Noah began, fumbling for the words he didn't want to say out loud. "That we don't need him. That it's just the three of us now. I can hear her crying every night when she thinks I'm asleep, but that's not the worst part." _

_Rachel stayed quiet, not pushing Noah to finish his story. It was another ten minutes before he continued. "I miss him, Ray. I know he left us but I still miss my dad. I hate what he has done, but I can't help wanting him to come home." His voice broke on the last words and Rachel pulled the tormented boy closer to her, still saying nothing. Softly, she began to hum the melody of Noah's favourite song, trying to comfort him the only way she could. _

_"__Why was I not good enough, Ray? What did I do wrong?" _

_Rachel couldn't stay silent any longer. __"__It is not your fault, Noah. You are amazing. You are a great big brother to Becs and your mom knows she can always depend on you." Her words were rushed; trying to convince him that he wasn't the reason Mr Puckerman had abandoned his family. __"__I was thinking, maybe you could borrow __one of my dads? I know they wouldn't mind me sharing them with you." In her innocence she offered the only thing she could think of that might help. If one of her dads took over from Mr Puckerman, nothing had to really change for Noah; he could still be a kid and not forced to become a grown-up at such a young age. _

_"__Do you really think so, Ray?" Noah lifted his head, looking wistfully into her eyes with a flicker of hope that quickly burnt out. "I don't think it works like that, but thank you so much for offering." _

_"__I'll always care Noah, no matter what. Don't you ever forget that. Promise me you won't forget." Rachel was almost begging; she had this feeling that Mr Puckerman's leaving would change all their lives, but in her youth she couldn't begin to fathom the true extent of that single event._

To Noah's shame, it had been the kiss with Rachel, the night of her Bat Mitzvah that had caused the disintegration of their friendship. He had never told anyone, Rachel included, that he had vowed never to let another person get close enough to hurt him again. As he realised that he and Rachel were in danger of becoming more that friends, he couldn't take the risk of becoming even more attached, only to lose her. That kiss they shared made him aware that it was already too late. He, Noah Puckerman, was in love with Rachel, had been for as long as he could remember, even before he fully understood what love meant. He didn't trust himself not to hurt her, like his dad had hurt him and his mom.

Treasuring the memory of that night, Noah had disappeared, to be replaced by Puck. His Mohawk was a way to discourage Rachel from trying to caress his hair, as was her habit when she was trying to comfort him. Puck refused to spend any time with her, knowing she would see through his mask. Noah was still too close to the surface, but, with time, Puck could bury him and Rachel would never see her best friend again. Puck joined as many sports teams as he could, meeting Matt, Mike, Finn and the rest of the jocks who would make Rachel's high school experience a nightmare.

In all his planning, he hadn't expected for Leroy and Hiram Berry to understand what he was doing. He hadn't expected them to warn Rachel, so no matter what torture Puck inflicted on her, Rachel never gave up on Noah returning to her. Unknowingly, this complete belief in Noah made him love Rachel more and, as much as he tried to deny it, his Puck mask wasn't work as efficiently as it used to. Then Finn joined Glee and it was only a matter of time before the physical barriers between Noah and Rachel fell away.

In a desperate attempt to kill any last remnants of Rachel's faith in Noah, he committed the worst sin he could think of. He slept with Quinn, the girl whose campaign of bullying against Rachel outlasted any of Puck's. The results had been disastrous. Not only did Quinn end up pregnant, but it only seemed to push Rachel closer to Finn, as his new best friend had been spending an increasing amount of time with her.

When Quinn had declared that she would never acknowledge Puck as the father of her child, he found himself standing outside Rachel's house, fighting his need to speak to her, to confess everything and beg for forgiveness. He got as far as the front door, only for his mom to call, looking for him. That night he dreamt that Rachel climbed in his window and he could no longer resist. The next five days, Slushies included, were the happiest he'd had in years. Noah was closer to the surface. He used _Sweet Caroline_ to try and show Rachel the truth, but fate was not on his side. Puck may have been able to repress the pain of Quinn's rejection, but Noah would never abandon his child, as his father had. So Noah let Rachel break up with him on the bleachers, wanting her to be with Finn, if that was what she truly wanted. Puck, however, lashed out with his harsh comment that they had never been friends.

When the truth came out about Baby gate, he and Rachel had exchanged a brief look in the corridor. Just as he was sure that she was seeing the real him, he also knew by the look in her eye that she had told Finn about "'Drizzles'" paternity for Noah's sake alone, and once more he marvelled at Rachel's ability to forgive. People may see her as being selfish, but he knew there was so much more to Rachel than her dream of Broadway. No matter the cost, if you were her friend she would never give up on you. Ever.

With all the drama of sectionals in the aftermath of Baby gate, he was confused and fed up of all the trouble his dual personality seemed to be causing lately. The whole point of Puck was to protect him from further pain, but it wasn't working. The next few months were some of the worse he had experienced since the time immediately after his dad left. He was seeing a new side to Finn that he didn't like, and sure, he could understand why the boy was angry with him, but some of the things he was saying to Rachel, and Quinn for that matter, were not kosher. Still, given the circumstances, he felt it best not to say anything. Who would take his word over Finn's? Nonetheless, he kept a closer eye on both girls.

The highlight of each day was listening to Rachel when she sang in Glee and being able to get to know her again. Spending regular time in the same room as her opened the floodgates. She still wore the same body spray, used the same shampoo, and the fragrance of both always seemed to linger on his clothes whenever they were paired together for dance routines.

When Jesse and Shelby had made their appearances into their lives, Noah was on hand to ease the resulting turmoil - case in point _Run, Joey, Run_ - and Puck was able to physically express the frustration Noah was feeling, particularly after the egging incident. In return, Rachel appeared by his side in the hospital the night Beth was born. She never said a word; she just grabbed his hand and let him rest his head on her shoulder like in the old days. It was too painful for either of them to mention Shelby, but it was just another tie that would link them together.

Some far away noise seemed to pierce though his wondering memory and Noah became concerned about his surroundings. He could tell that Rachel was still asleep; it felt so right to have her in his arms. Carefully, he moved on the sofa, making sure not to disturb Rachel, and once he settled again he tried to get more rest. Just as sleep claimed him, he felt a light touch on his face, and heard the rustling of material as the comforter was pulled more securely around him.

This time his dreams were of more recent events - the last half of junior year which had been spent getting to know his fellow gleeks a bit better, trying to help Sam and his family out so that the Evans could find a better home than a motel, spending time with Rachel as she struggled with her song writing. The girl didn't realise how, once more, she had inspired him to follow her example - to pour his emotions into his music, to finally put into words to the feelings that had held him captive for so long. Rachel understood that his songs were private, meant for no-one else but him, and she never once asked to hear anything, though Noah would have loved to have shared some with her.

When Finn had stolen _Pretending_ and claimed it as his own, suddenly his work was out for anyone to hear, and Noah had a choice to make. On the one hand, he felt as if he still owed Finn for sleeping with Quinn, for helping Rachel cheat on him, and for not keeping his promise to stay away from her. Maybe it was karma, if you believed in that kind of thing. However, after overhearing a conversation Finn had with Rachel just before they took the stage at Nationals, seeing the kiss that undoubtedly cost New Directions a higher placing, Noah's anger grew. He had to tell Rachel the truth, had to let her make her decision about restarting her relationship with all the facts. He owed it to her after all that Puck had subjected her to.

As it turned out, Rachel wasn't as easily fooled as Finn believed her to be. Something about Noah's reaction to the song and Finn's explanations about what inspired the song didn't make sense. So, when Noah showed up on her doorstep she read the truth in his eyes before he even said hello.

_"__I'm not here to make trouble; I just can't let Finn lie to you like this," Noah began, but Rachel held her hand up to stop him. _

"_I know the song is yours, Noah. I have for a while. It might sound strange to you but I need to give Finn one more chance. The only thing I'm certain of is that I'm going to New York next year, but if I don't try with Finn again, I'll always wonder. Please say you understand." Rachel desperately needed for him to see the logic of her decision. _

"_It's fine, Ray." Her old nickname slipped out accidentally but it made Rachel smile. _

Finn had left for football camp a week later and Noah had found himself spending most of his time with Rachel and various combinations of gleeks. Puck barely made appearances any more; there was no one who felt threatening to him or his friends. Then Finn had returned and things had become strange. Rachel was suddenly distant; she had cancelled plans and was difficult to get in touch with. Finn was openly hostile towards him, and so Puck came back anytime the quarterback was around. Even after the Finchel breakup, when he and the gleeks had expected to spend more time with Rachel, Britt seemed to be the only one to see her, and that was only due to their shared dance class.

A few days before school Rachel had called; she was organising a back to school party and, though quieter than normal, she appeared to be in good spirits. She explained her absence with her individual folders for all the Gleeks, Finn included. It was a believable excuse because of the sheer volume of work and detail involved, but still something about Rachel made Noah uneasy and had Puck on high alert. He hadn't questioned Finn's sullenness that day, though he certainly didn't care for the boy's accusations about Puck's intentions towards Rachel. Still, he refused to let Finn ruin the day for Rachel, joining Sam and Blaine instead, laughing at Kurt's shrieks of dismay as his elaborate hairstyle was ruined when Santana knocked him into the pool. Finn had left early, and Noah had missed the short angry one-sided conversation his former friend had with Rachel. He did, however, notice the change in her mood, even though she tried her best to hide it.

Noah decided to keep a closer eye on her, determined to have his childhood best friend back fully by Christmas at the latest. Rachel had no problem with Noah being nearby, though she was rambling more than usual - another sign that was not well, but something only a person who knew her well would recognise. So Noah laughed at Rachel's jokes, agreed with her study plans for him, and didn't grumble when she insisted on vocal lessons for him. His mother was delighted with the change in his attitude, and with the fact that Rachel was spending more time at their house.

Noah had been so proud when Leroy had called him a few days before he and Hiram left for their cruise, asking Noah to watch out for their daughter while they were away. They had decided that Noah was the only one they would trust with the job. The Daddy Berrys had been so sure that Noah could keep Rachel safe and he had let them down, just as he had let Rachel down. His thoughts and memories became confused and chaotic; the weight of his despair was crushing his soul. He was the 'Lima Loser' Quinn had accused him of being. He wasn't good enough for Rachel to love just as Finn had told him.

"Your father couldn't love you and you're his flesh and blood, so what makes you think Rachel won't leave you as well? She's all about New York. Don't make the same mistake as I did, thinking she'd choose me over her dreams. I'm the star of the school and I couldn't keep her. You're no better than a hooker with all your cougars. Face facts, Puckerman, you're never getting out, and you will never get the girl."

Finn's words were laced with bitterness and it was seeping into Noah's brain, though it wasn't as much Finn's words as it was his conviction that Noah would never be good enough that got to him. And, as much as he wanted to deny what Finn had said, he couldn't. Puck had hurt Rachel and made it his sole mission in life to tear her down and drive her away before she could break him.

In the end, all Puck had done was make Rachel vulnerable to Finn's poison. It was him. He was the cause of all this trouble. "All my fault, so sorry, forgive me please Rachel." Over and over, Noah cried out in his sleep. He was still asleep but unable to free himself from the nightmare that had taken hold of him. How could he ever make things right with Rachel? How could he ever make amends for all the wrongs he had done?

In the midst of his confusion he felt a shiver run down his spine, as if his instincts were telling him he was being watched. He had to protect Rachel at all costs. This desire forced him to open his eyes. The light made him blink a few times before he could focus properly. As someone emerged from the shadows, he tightened his grip on Rachel, turning slightly so she was hidden from view. This time he wouldn't fail to protect her, no matter what might happen to him. Just as he prepared to face the unknown danger, Noah, still slight confused with sleep, recognised the men in front of him as Rachel's dads. Though he tried, he couldn't find any words to say to these men, whose faith in him had been misplaced. A solitary tear slid down his face and Noah waited for the men's judgement and their condemnation, knowing that forgiveness and atonement were impossible.

**A.N. I hope you all liked this chapter, as I really wanted to show more of the history between Rachel and Noah. **

**As always I would like to encourage you to review the chapter, or send me any thoughts or comments you may have. Thanks for reading ~Carrie**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you to all who continue to read/alert and review this story. I get giddy every time I get an email telling me. ;)**

**As always I have to thank xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being my beta :)**

As soon as Burt and Emma stepped inside the police station they could tell something was wrong. Carole was pacing in front of the main reception desk, her eyes focused on all the people who were arriving. Relief washed over her face when she spotted her husband and the guidance counsellor. Burt was at her side instantly while Emma was approached by two of the officers involved in the investigation.

"Ms Pillsbury, we need to speak with you again." Detective James wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Of course, whatever you need. Can you tell me what has happened since I left?" Emma asked, hoping for some good news.

"Officially, I can't tell you anything until we have updated your statement," the detective replied. "Off the record, your colleague's mental state is a concern. The department psychologist just left him a few minutes ago, but it didn't go well."

The whole investigating team was frustrated by the slow progress they were making, as well as knowing that Finn Hudson was using them for his own twisted purposes. Their hands were tied; an accusation like the one Finn had made had to be looked into, no matter what their instincts were telling them. Until Rachel Berry was able to make a formal statement, they had to hope that her teachers and friends could fill in the blanks, starting with Emma Pillsbury.

Carole and Burt had been led back to the room adjoining the one where Finn was being held by Sergeant Angelo. Helen, the social worker, was still with him and she had been joined by another woman who Burt was told was a psychologist. She was conducting a brief assessment to determine Finn's current state of mind, before deciding how best to proceed. It seemed likely that he would either be transferred to the local hospital for medical attention, or would remain at the police station. Carole had been unwilling to take him to the family home out of respect to Kurt and, although her husband had been quick to try and change her mind, she had been determined.

"Unless they say he'll be placed in foster care or a group home, he can stay where he is until he starts to act like my Finn again." This had not been an easily reached decision, so Burt did not question it.

"Has Finn said anything else since I left?" Burt asked instead.

"He's answered a few of the doctor's questions but I know he is not happy. If I could trust myself to speak calmly to him I'd be in there with him, but I can't and it's breaking my heart."

Burt could only take his wife into his arms and hope it would help in some small way. From his vantage point he could see the psychologist leaving Finn, and the sergeant went to be briefed while the Hummels waited to hear what her findings were and what the consequences would be.

Emma had answered Detective James' questions as best she could, giving him as many of the detail of the relationship between Finn and Will since the latter had become director of New Directions. She felt uncomfortable talking about the more personal aspects of the last two years, but knew it was all crucial information.

"In your professional opinion, as someone who has spent a lot of time with the club, how would you describe the dynamic between Finn Hudson and Will Schuester?" Emma was asked.

"I've always thought of it as a Father-Son relationship, especially before Finn's mother remarried. As for Will, I think he liked being a role model and has always seen something of himself at that age in Finn. However, I still cannot understand this total belief that Will has in Finn. He was given plenty of examples of how Finn has been manipulating him, but nothing made the slightest impact." Emma just wished they had been able to make Will see the reality of the situation.

"And, aside from the last few days, who else in the club is Will close to?" was the detective's next question.

"It varies depending on what's been happening - who is dating who, if any of the kids have had a falling out, and so on. The one continuous relationship Will has had is the one with Finn and that tends to influence how he treats the other members of the club. For example, he has never fully forgiven Puck for sleeping with Quinn, but because Finn still has some kind of feelings for Quinn, Will is less hostile towards her." Emma knew that her answers wouldn't be helping Will, but they were the facts. "Whatever his faults may be, I don't think that Will has ever hurt Finn, or been inappropriate in the manner that Finn has suggested. It is just not something Will would ever do."

Detective James heard the conviction in Emma's words. By all accounts Ms Pillsbury was well within her rights to feed Will Schuester to the wolves, but instead she was doing her best to unravel the mess that her colleague now found himself in.

"Where does Rachel Berry fit into this puzzle?" The detective was conscious that the last time the girl had been mentioned Emma had clammed up. Her answers, with a few exceptions, had become shorter, less detailed. She hadn't refused to discuss any particular subject, but she was definitely holding out on them.

"The relationship between Rachel and Will has always been tempestuous. Rachel knows what she wants for her future and is prepared to work hard to succeed. Sometimes this drive has been misunderstood by Will, by the club, and by the student population at McKinley, but she has never given up once. Lately, Rachel has been trying to help her friends with their ambitions for after high school; she's been putting less pressure on herself and just wants to remember senior year." Emma stopped, trying to figure out what to say next without betraying Rachel.

"I understand the difficult position you're in Ms Pillsbury," Detective James said. "I won't push the matter, but we really need to speak with Rachel tomorrow or we will have no choice other than to let Finn go."

Emma nodded her head in acknowledgement of the man's words, grateful that Rachel would at least have a full night's rest before facing the police's questions. She had one more concern, however, which she had to voice.

"Does Rachel have to come here? It may be better for her to be somewhere familiar." She waited for the response, hoping the detective would understand.

"Making Rachel feel safe is a top priority for us, wherever the interview takes place. The decision about its location is not for me to make, but I'll recommend that she be able to stay at home, if at all possible."

Their conversation was at an end and Detective James escorted Emma to where Burt and Carole sat talking together. Finn's mother had apparently been crying again, if her red rimmed eyes were any indication and Emma was reluctant to interrupt this private moment. All she wanted to do was to go home, have a long soak in the bath and wash away the stress and negativity of the day. However, if the Hummels needed her to be there, then she would stay for as long as was necessary. Burt could see the exhaustion on the counsellor's face and was about to suggest that she leave for the evening, when the sergeant and the psychologist joined them.

After introducing Burt and Emma to Dr. Smyth, the three adults were told of her recommendations. If Carole and Burt were agreeable, Finn was to be taken home, the hope being that the familiar surroundings might lower his defensiveness and thus allow the detectives to get more information from him the next day. Dr Smyth felt that making him stay in the station overnight would make Finn close off even more, and push him further away from his family. The decision was entirely theirs to make. Sensing Carole's hesitation, Burt tried to reassure her.

"He's your son, first and foremost, so there is no wrong choice here. I'll support you no matter what."

"And Kurt?" Carole asked quietly.

"Spoken like a real mother. Kurt just wants you to do what you think is best. He's staying with Blaine and some of the other gleeks tonight so it will just be the three of us."

Carole thanked her husband and she knew that she would have to speak with Kurt as soon as was possible.

"You will need to bring Finn back to the station tomorrow, but we will call you in the morning with a time. Needless to say, Finn should be kept within the grounds of your property and can't make contact with anyone who is involved in this case," the sergeant said.

"You're keeping his phone and I'll disconnect the internet so he'll be without means to break his restrictions," Carole said, needing to show that she was cooperating fully.

"I'm going to get Finn now. We've told him what the conditions are so hopefully he won't make any efforts to rebel against us." Sergeant Angelo turned to Emma. "Can you accompany Dr Smyth, please, Ms Pillsbury? We won't keep you much longer. I must also ask you not to contact the Hummels and vice versa for the time being, okay?"

Though not overly happy with this instruction, the three adults agreed and Emma followed the psychologist to her office while Carole and Burt were reunited with an eerily silent but obviously sulking Finn. The family left the building without a word being exchanged. It was going to be a long night in the Hummel household.

Meanwhile, Dr Smyth promised Ms Pillsbury that she would be as brief as possible. She just wanted to see how Emma was coping, as she had been holding her students together all day. The doctor also want the counsellor to know that her efforts had been worthwhile and, even though the situation still appeared to be unbelievably complicated, the investigation had been able to continue because of Emma. Dr Smyth's assurance gave Emma peace of mind for the first time all day. She began to hope again that the plan that she and Sue had overseen was going to be a success. She only had one more concern she needed addressed before she could go home.

"How is Will? Mr Schuester, I mean." Emma could tell from the doctor's reaction that it was not good news.

"We had to sedate him. After he was told of Finn's accusations Will became very agitated, and he began to lash out." At Emma's gasp the doctor paused, trying to decide if she should tell her the rest, but felt the counsellor deserved to hear the truth. "Ordinarily, in cases like this, we would expect the accused to repeatedly proclaim their innocence, maybe make a counter claim, but Mr Schuester did none of these things." Again Dr Smyth hesitated, and Emma understood.

"He blamed Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman, didn't he?" There was so much certainty in Emma's voice. She wasn't surprised by the news. Will had made his feelings about both of his students clear when she had spoken to him earlier. "What will it take for Mr Schuester to see past all these lies?"

"At this time, it's difficult to tell. I'm gravely concerned about his state of mind. He was obsessed with being allowed to see Finn, that the boy needed protection and that he was the only one who could keep Finn safe. This doesn't help him, of course." The doctor was hoping that Mr Schuester would accept that he was in real danger of being charged with a very serious crime that would destroy his career, even if the case was dropped before it went to trial.

"So what happens to Will now?" Though his behaviour had led to a rift between the teacher and the club, Emma knew that some of the kids would want to know what the situation was.

"Like I said, we medicated Mr Schuester, and he has been placed in a secure cell under twenty-four hour supervision. It is my hope that we may be able to make progress tomorrow, but there is no guarantee."

Emma quietly hoped that Will would be more coherent and open to the real world when he was next assessed. The doctor, understanding Emma's facial expressions and body language, concluded, "I think the best thing you can do right now is to go home and get some rest. If it's any comfort to you, there are regular patrols in Ms Berry's neighbourhood and I think Finn realises that he is being watched closely, so he should obey the terms of his release."

Thanking Dr Smyth for this information, Emma left the police station. She would have to return there in less than twelve hours and so, after checking in with Sue and being told that all was under control at the Berry's, Emma went home. She tried not to think about her former beau being locked up and sedated in a police cell, or that Finn might try and see Rachel in spite of the risks and she prayed that she might have a dreamless sleep for the first time in a week. For once, some higher power was listening. Emma never moved once her head touched her pillow, until her phone woke her at seven thirty the next morning. Will Schuester was awake and demanding to see her.

**A.N. A slightly shorter chapter than the more recent ones, but important none the less. To those who were curious, the Daddies Berry will begin to have their say in the next chapter, and I am busy working on the gleeks interviews with the police.**

**As always if anyone had any thoughts, or suggestions for me, please get in touch :) ~Carrie**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**A.N. Thanks to all who continue to support this story.**

**Thanks also to my wonderful beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx**

**WARNING: This chapter contains material that relates to Finn's attack on Rachel. It is not overly graphic, but I just wanted to let you all know.  
**

Sergeant Angelo and his team had been working together for three years now, and had earned a reputation for ruthlessly searching out the truth, no matter how long it took. That being said, in all the time since their first investigation, no case had been as complex and frustrating as their current one. As was his habit, the sergeant had gathered all his team, including the psychologist and social worker involved, to run over what they knew and what they needed to prepare for the next day. Looking at each of his officers in turn, he could see that his normally composed detectives were somewhat frazzled - a sentiment he too could identify with.

Their day had started as usual; they had just finished the paperwork on their last case when a phone call had been patched through to Sergeant Angelo with an urgent message from a teacher at McKinley High School. At the same time, Detective James had received a very disturbing video clip that was attached to an email requesting their presence at McKinley as soon as possible. They would be met by an escort who would lead the police to where they were needed. Just in case Angelo and his team were not convinced to investigate, a second video arrived. If the first clip had been shocking, the audio alone from the second was enough to get the team moving. None of them had ever heard despair or fear as haunting as the nameless voice on that footage.

The scene that they had walked into in the choir room was unlike anything Angelo had personally ever seen. In his early career, he had seen frat parties that had gotten out of hand and had witnessed the aftermath of violent crimes, but the atmosphere in that room sent his intuition into overdrive. In the hours that had followed the situation had quickly deteriorated to the point that both Detectives Oliver and James openly questioned how they could untangle all the lies , find the truth behind the video footage and solve the many riddles that kept appearing any time they thought they were getting somewhere. There was no denying that Rachel Berry was at the centre of it all and the officers involved were anxious to speak with her.

Calling the meeting to order Sergeant Angelo began, "Have we been able to discover the origins of either video, or who sent them?"

"Not so far sir," Detective James replied. "Nor do I know how the email came to be addressed to me, or why."

"I can help with that question," Dr. Smyth, the resident police psychologist, spoke up, surprising the officers. "Ms Pillsbury told me that she and her colleagues had researched who they should approach within the Lima Police Department. However, I don't think that they sent the footage."

"Then who did?" Detective Oliver asked.

"I think it might have been one of the Glee Club. From what I've learnt, they are an enterprising group of students. In light of all that has been going on, it would seem as if some of them at least have a backup plan – hence the tapes. I am also sure that Ms Pillsbury is not aware of the videos you have been sent." Dr Smyth had liked the quiet guidance counsellor whose sole concern had been to protect her students – no matter the personal cost. "I suggest you add the origin of the videos to your list of interview topics for tomorrow," she added.

The three men agreed with her suggestion. "I think that the photographs are from the same source," Detective Oliver spoke. On their arrival to the school, a teacher who had identified herself as Coach Beiste had handed them a sealed envelope, though it was clear that she had no idea what it contained. The football coach explained that she had received a message to take the envelope from her colleague's desk and give it to the police who would be arriving at the school. Furthermore, she was to lead them to the choir room by way of the connecting office, which she could expect to find locked. Coach Beiste freely admitted to not knowing what was happening but that Sue Sylvester was famed for her crazy schemes.

It was not until the officers returned to the police station with Finn Hudson and Will Schuester that they had an opportunity to examine the contents of the still-sealed envelope. It held a number of photographs that clearly showed a hand-shaped bruise. The lack of colour on the surrounding skin highlighted the force that would have been needed to leave such a mark. From the brief glances they had taken of Rachel's face that afternoon, it was apparent that she was the owner of the bruise, but the photograph they had in their possession had clearly been taken mere hours after the bruise had originally been left. When exactly that had been they couldn't yet say, but their best guess was maybe five days ago. Again, here was another mystery to be solved. Other images in the collection showed angry marks on slim wrists, more finger-like bruises on a delicate neck, a stomach that was covered in blackening shadowy marks and battered hands that looked as if they had been clawing at something, all of which belonged to Rachel Berry.

_One of the first questions that Detective James had asked Ms Pillsbury was if Rachel had been assessed and treated by a medical professional. To his relief, Emma had assured him that Rachel had been seen by a doctor and a nurse, both of whom were parents of glee club members. It was Emma's belief that Rachel didn't remember the examination, however, as she had never mentioned it. _

_"Ms Pillsbury, I am not faulting you in any way, but why did you not call us in straight away?" The detective was careful to keep any accusation out of his voice._

_"Because Rachel refused to even consider the idea," Emma replied. "The first time the police were mentioned she became hysterical and had to be sedated, and ever since she shuts out anyone who suggests it. I know she hates that the choice was taken out of her hands, but personally I'm happy and relieved that you are involved."_

_"Did you see what happened, Ms Pillsbury?" the detective asked. Emma looked as if she was not going to answer the question for a moment, but she was only trying to find the words she needed. "I arrived in the immediate aftermath. Noah Puckerman, Sam Evans, Mike Chang and Quinn Fabray were also present with me and our focus was on Rachel." She paused knowing she was being evasive. "I can't say anything more at this stage. I've heard the story from Rachel, but I promised I would not tell anyone without her permission." Detective James looked as if he were about to protest so Emma rushed to continue. "I know you don't understand but I will not break my promise. What I will tell you is that what happened last Friday in the senior boys' locker room is only the culmination of what I believe to be an ongoing case of emotional abuse that turned physical." _

_Despite of the gravity of the situation, Detective James almost smiled at the teacher's ability to keep her promise to her student but also the way in which she had given him enough information to help the investigation. Not wanting to put any __further pressure on Ms Pillsbury, he ended the meeting, asking if she would mind waiting at the station as he or one of his fellow officers were sure to have more questions for her. Having secured her agreement to stay for as long as was necessary, he escorted her to the waiting area and went to update his sergeant._

As Detective James finished recounting his first interview with Ms Pillsbury to his colleagues, he added the names of Dr. Lopez and Ms Puckerman, the medical team who had treated Rachel, to the list of people to be questioned at the earliest possible moment. Helen Scott, the social worker, had been reading the transcripts of Finn's interviews and had been struck by something he had said. "I think you need to speak to Quinn Fabray about her relationship with Finn. It is very possible she too has been a victim in the past, though she is more than likely unaware of this fact." When pressed by Sergeant Angelo, she explained her theory. "The five people you interviewed today have all mentioned Ms Fabray. She is the girl who cheated on Finn when he first became interested in Ms Berry. Last year, Finn encouraged Ms Fabray to cheat on her new boyfriend, but insisted on keeping their renewed relationship a secret for as long as possible. I can't help but wonder if this was an attempt by Finn to even the score somehow with Quinn, to show her how little she means to him, and also it allowed Finn to hurt Rachel by flaunting this return to his dream girl at Prom time. In either situation, Finn has manipulated both girls for his own purposes."

"It is a very good idea to look into further, if only to establish a pattern in his behaviour." Dr Smyth was quick to support the social worker who had spent the most time with Finn since he had arrived at the station.

"How should we approach the issue of Will Schuester?" Sergeant Angelo asked.

The psychologist's troubled look gave an indication as to her feelings. "I have concerns about his mental state. Even before any accusations were made, which, for the record, I don't believe, Mr Schuester's obsession with Finn seemed highly inappropriate, but again from speaking with Emma Pillsbury it would seem as if this is most likely a consequence of his marriage breakdown and the fact that Mr Schuester identifies so much with Finn. Although misguided, his need to protect Finn could be a case of transference, or even delusional disorder, but both will take time to be diagnosed properly and then treated."

All three officers had suspected as much, but Will's inability to accept the truth was a massive hindrance to their investigation.

"Is there any way that someone could get through to him, to get Mr Schuester to help us, or even to cooperate a bit more?" Detective Oliver wondered.

"I'm hoping that the sedation he was given will calm him enough so that he can be open to accepting what has really been going on around him, but there is no guarantee," Dr Smyth began. "Also, it may be better for you if Mr Schuester was to wake up tomorrow and ask to see one of you himself. It would reflect a change of view on his part, or at least a willingness to listen."

"So, as we can't count on him, Mr Schuester's next interview can be left until later on when he has been reassessed by Dr Smyth and, in the meantime, hopefully his students will be more helpful," Sergeant Angelo started. He glanced at the evidence board to see what was next to be discussed. While the question of the origins of the videos had been shelved for the moment, the footage itself was the most crucial and damning evidence that they had, linking Finn Hudson to a brutal attack on his former girlfriend. The clip lasted about two and a half minutes, and from the angle of the camera in the corner of the locker room, it captured the moment Rachel was dragged by her hair to a standing position, and the punches that followed. As had happened when they had seen the video initially, the two women in the room couldn't help but notice the height and weight difference between Finn and Rachel. It was little wonder that she had been so badly bruised and it was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn't received any broken bones or internal injuries. Rachel's pleas for the assault to end could barely be heard above Finn's angry and deranged words.

"Rachel looks almost like a puppet with the way she is been held by her hair," Helen observed as she watched in growing horror Rachel continually being knocked into the lockers behind as Finn took his rage out on the small girl. "Are there any photographs of Rachel's back to accompany this clip?" She didn't really want to see the damage left behind, but she knew that someone would eventually have to look at the actual marks that remained, when they met with Rachel. Before a response could be given, she looked back at the screen and said, "Wait a minute, rewind the tape."

Detective Oliver hurried to comply with the social workers request. The tape was restarted on a slower playback and the detective saw what had caught her eye. Visible on the edge of the frame was a shadow; there was a witness to the attack that they would have to find. Just as Sergeant Angelo was going to add this next task to the growing list, Dr Smyth announced she knew who it was. Emma Pillsbury had spoken of what Mike had happened upon and how the boy was wracked with guilt because he felt he hadn't acted quick enough or in the right way.

"Will he verify the events of the tape?" the sergeant asked. Any time it looked as if they had a promising line of inquiry that day, an obstacle had been quick to appear, but Dr Smyth was able to ease his fears.

"Not only is Mike Chang willing to speak on record about what he witnessed that day, but he also has some useful background information that will help your investigation."

The conversation moved on to the next clip, which was just under four minutes long and began with a barely visible Rachel, who was struggling to keep the last of her shredded clothes on her body as she valiantly tried to fight off Finn, who used even more violent means to remove the last barriers between them. Just as he delivered a slap, the sound of which echoed through the room, drowning out Rachel's voice which was hoarse from her previous attempts to scream, three boys came crashing into the room. It took their combined strength to tear Finn away from the bench where Rachel lay crushed beneath him, her terror now fully captured by the camera. One of the boys carefully approached Rachel, who collapsed in his arms, while the others restrained Finn as best they could. The quarterback was enraged at being disrupted and was not prepared to be held for much longer. When another student entered the room it was distraction enough for Finn to escape without a backward glance at the girl he had tried to violate, and who was now rocking back and forth, lost to reality as her fear and the horror of the situation overwhelmed her.

"Have you mentioned this footage to anyone?" Helen asked. Surely it alone could hold off on speaking to Rachel, but Sergeant Angelo shook his head, knowing what she was thinking.

"Unfortunately we still need a statement from Ms Berry. There is nothing to stop Finn from claiming it was all consensual. All he has to say is that it was a fantasy of Rachel's, and it will be enough to create a sliver of doubt about what is happening on the tape."This was one of the aspects of his job he detested the most. There was no way anyone who watched either of the videos could believe that Rachel had been a willing participant, but procedures had to be followed. Helen understood this, of course, but it hadn't stopped her from requesting that a new advocate be found for Finn. This was an unusual action on her part but she knew she could not do her job properly having seen the footage and, as much as her decision was based on Rachel, the truth of the matter was that Finn was entitled to have an advocate who was without bias. This meant that she would have to step away from the case, and the three officers were sorry to be losing her. Helen had made valuable contributions to their efforts, such as her suggestion that her co-worker Darran would be in a better position to bond with Finn, solely on account of him being male.

With a sigh of relief, the team turned their attention to the last order of business - the interviews to be held with the glee club and their other teacher, Coach Sylvester. Some of the students had requested that their interviews be held at the Berry residence and, with Dr Smyth's advice, they were trying to accommodate this wish as much as possible. From speaking with Finn's stepfather and Ms Pillsbury, they understood the reasoning behind the teens' desire to be close with Rachel. Understandably, a lot of the parents they had spoken to had been shocked by what had been happening to their children, especially as the team also had to investigate the merits of Finn's claims against Will Schuester. Deciding it was best to split the teens into two groups, Detective James and Sergeant Angelo would remain at the station and begin to question the teens who were willing to come to them. In the meantime, Dr Smyth and Detective Oliver would go to the Berry's home and speak with the rest of the club who were unwilling to leave the house. That left the problem of Rachel's parents, who were out of the country on holidays. Rachel could not be questioned without at least one of her fathers or an approved guardian. Either way, as the police had been unable to get in contact with Leroy or Hiram Berry, they had hit another roadblock. As Sergeant Angelo was sure that the next day would be spent with the glee club, he was confident that they, or the adults staying with Rachel, would be able to get in touch with her parents during that time.

Looking at his watch and realising it was later than he had thought, the sergeant asked if there was anything left to be covered before he ended the debriefing. Detective James had the finalised list of interview times for their superior officer to sign off on and Dr Smyth said that she would like to check on Will Schuester before she left. Knowing that his team were as prepared as they possibly could be he dismissed the two officers and the social worker, thanking them for their efforts so far. Wanting to see Will for himself, Sergeant Angelo followed Dr Smyth to the cell where Mr Schuester was under constant supervision. It appeared as if all was okay at the moment. The teacher was still under the influence of his earlier sedation and had not moved from where he lay on the cot bed. Leaving instructions that she was to be called if there were any changes, Dr Smyth said goodnight to the sergeant and gratefully went home for what was left of the evening.

Sergeant Angelo checked in with the patrol cars that were watching the Hummel and Berry houses. All seemed quiet in both neighbourhoods, Finn seemed to be obeying the conditions of his release and, as all the lights were off at the Berry's, the patrol believed that everyone inside was asleep.

With one last look to see if his paper work was up to date, the sergeant was about to go to the break room for a few hours sleep when a message came through from the reception to say that Leroy and Hiram Berry were waiting to see him. Sergeant Angelo had the men led to him straight away while asking that a fresh pot of coffee be brought to him as soon as possible. Standing to greet the two men, their agitation was obvious and he braced himself for the difficult task that he now faced. This was surely something no parent ever wanted to hear. Leroy Berry was a well respected lawyer and, although their paths had never crossed, Leroy's reputation preceded him, so it wasn't a great surprise when the man came straight to the point.

"Sergeant Angelo, why is it, that after such a violent attack on my daughter, Finn Hudson is sleeping peacefully in his own bed tonight? How exactly are you planning on ensuring that this monster is locked up and never sees the light of day?" Leroy had barely raised his voice, though his anger was clear. His husband was holding his hand tightly, and looked as if he didn't trust himself enough to speak without losing his temper.

"I am not sure exactly how much you know, but the decision to let Mr Hudson home was not taken lightly. We have been trying to reach you for several hours now and you can be sure that my team and I are taking this case very seriously and will not rest until we know everything." Sergeant Angelo spoke carefully, anxious to assure the men in front of him that their daughter was their priority.

"We got your messages when our flight landed earlier," Hiram said. "We had been made aware that something was wrong, even though Rachel was trying to hide the truth from us." As the sergeant clearly meant to ask what made the men come home early, Hiram continued. "Three of the gleeks... sorry, glee club members rang us early this morning, saying Rachel needed us but didn't want to ruin our vacation. Once we heard their account we listened closer to Rachel when we made our daily call, and that just confirmed that our daughter needed us here."

"Can you tell me which of Rachel's friends called you? We have found our hands tied by Rachel's determination not to involve us." The sergeant broke off at the look that crossed Leroy's face, and he rushed to continue. "Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not criticising Rachel; from the small amount of time I've known about her, I've noticed that she has been remarkably strong, all things considered, and I understand her wish to have some control. We just need to know as many details as possible." He appealed to the lawyer in Leroy, who could accept the sergeant's thought process and see how the investigation could be hampered unintentionally by Rachel's actions.

"We both know that you and your team are working hard, but we will protect Rachel at all costs and we will not go against her wishes. My husband and I will urge all of the kids to be as helpful and cooperative as they can; they have all been thrown by what has happened." Leroy paused for a minute. Both he and Hiram were tired from their journey back to Lima; they had chosen to go to the police station first so that when they got home they would not have to leave Rachel.

"I won't delay you or your husband, Mr Berry. I can't begin to imagine how you are feeling. I'm not sure if you have been told that Will Schuester has been dragged into the middle of this case but, as far as we can tell, it is only a diversionary tactic by Mr Hudson. If I might suggest, perhaps you should go home to Rachel and see her for yourselves. I will be staying here overnight and I can be reached at any time at this number." Sergeant Angelo handed Hiram a business card. "We would like to speak to Rachel as soon as possible and a few of her friends have asked to be interviewed at your house, but I am not sure if your return will change this." He gave the two men a questioning look as he awaited confirmation.

"We have no problem with any of the kids being there and, as long as Rachel is not upset, we give our permission for the interviews. Perhaps when those are over, Rachel will be able to speak to you. Our main concern is that Finn Hudson is never in the same room as her ever again, and we would hope that you and your team can arrange this." Leroy stated.

"I took the liberty of having restraining order forms ready for you, and I'm sure you are aware that since Rachel is still a minor you can complete them on her behalf and they can be filed at once." Leroy took the documents he was offered, grateful to see that Sergeant Angelo had thought of this detail. "You should also know that there is a patrol car on duty in the vicinity of your immediate neighbourhood. They will be advised to expect your arrival and other units will replace them so long as Finn is not in our custody."

"Thank you so much for all the work you have done so far. It is somewhat of a relief to know all these arrangements are in place." Seeing that Leroy had finished the paperwork, Hiram stood up and the three men walked back to the reception area were the forms were sent to the appropriate department. Sergeant Angelo shook the hands of both men, reminding them to contact him whenever they needed and he promised to alert them to any changes that may occur. He could tell from their body language as they left the station that both men were dreading seeing their daughter. It was one thing to hear about an attack over the phone, which alone must have been a truly horrifying experience, but to have to witness first hand the damage that had been inflicted on their only child, to know that they would never be able to erase her memories, was a torture that would never truly leave them.

Making his promised call to the patrol car, Sergeant Angelo finally managed to reach the break room, where he saw both his detectives had fallen asleep while reviewing transcripts of interviews. Thankful to have such a dedicated team, he got as comfortable as he could on a lower bunk, plugged his phone in to be charged and tried to set aside the stress of the case. Within minutes he was sleeping, his last thought was of an image of Rachel from the video footage, her hands clawing at her skin as if Finn was still on top of her, her eyes wild and unseeing to anything but her terror.

**A.N. More information for you on what happened in the locker room that fateful Friday, what the police know and how they are trying to untangle this complex case. Also the Daddies Berry speak ;) Next chapter sees them returning home, but I felt it was important for them to see what ****was being done by the Lima Police Department. **

**Thanks to Cameo45 for mentioning 'Delusional Disorder' to me in one of her PM's. It seems like a very good fit for Will, at least for now anyway.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this latest chapter, please feel free to drop me a comment, I love hearing from you all:) ~Carrie**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**A.N. I wish to send virtual hugs to all those who read/review and alert this little story of mine. :)**

**To xXLittle Rose AngelXx my dedicated beta who is juggling study, assignments and editing, not an easy job let me tell you ;)**

Leroy and Hiram Berry sat in their car, hands grasped tightly together as they both tried to work up the strength needed to get through the night. Since they had received that unexpected phone call earlier that morning they had found themselves lost in a whirlwind of frantic activities and runaway emotions. The journey back to Lima seemed never-ending and the fact that they had been stuck on a plane for several hours, unable to communicate with their daughter or her friends, only increased the helplessness they were currently experiencing. Both were very practical, hands on men who, while in touch with their feelings, much preferred being able to physically solve any problems that may arise in their lives. Knowing that this was not possible in this situation was only adding to their unease.

"Sergeant Angelo seems to know what he's doing." Hiram spoke quietly, trying to convince himself as much as his husband. As promised, a patrol car had been parked across from the house. The officers inside had shown no surprise when the Berry dads had parked in their driveway, just acknowledge their presence with a small wave. The house seemed quiet; most of the lights were off though, to the best of their knowledge, which came via a text message, five gleeks as well as Coach Sylvester were inside with Rachel. The same message told them that all the kids were trying to get some sleep, watched over and protected by Sue, who was the perfect guardian in the circumstances. Not able to wait any longer, Leroy and Hiram got out of the car and walked quickly to the front door.

Slipping softly inside, they were instantly aware of the faint sound of a piano playing, which originated in the sitting room, and distant footsteps upstairs. Over the music a slightly raised and panicked voice was mumbling something incoherently and the men followed it to the sitting room, Hiram cursing as a floorboard creaked and the voice fell silent. The dimmed lighting half hid Leroy and Hiram from the view of the disorientated boy who, even as he tried to focus on the men before him, had instinctively moved to shield Rachel from what he perceived to be a threat. Not wanting to startle Noah any further or wake his daughter, Leroy stepped slowly into the room, pausing as Rachel's guard recognised him, not liking the tormented look in Noah's eyes. In order to give the boy time to wake fully, Leroy just stood still, assessing the scene before him. He knew that Hiram was able to see Rachel when his husband grabbed his hand and let out a gasp. Leroy became aware of another person in the room, but couldn't bring himself to look away from his daughter. She was so small, curled up against Noah, holding tightly at his shirt in an unconscious effort to keep him closer. Her breathing was slightly erratic; no doubt Hiram would want to examine her, to see the medical exam that had been carried out in their absence.

"Leroy? Hiram? I'm not sure if you know me, but I'm Sue Sylvester," the coach spoke quietly, for once almost at a loss to find the right words. "We have been trying to reach you all day and I know Rachel will be so relieved to have you hear..." Sue trailed off; she knew both men were listening to her even as their gaze never left the couple on the sofa.

"Has she been sleeping long?" Hiram asked, allowing his inner doctor to act as the father in him tried to hold his emotions in check.

"Rachel's slept for about four hours now, though it's only in the last while that I think she's actually got some rest."

Hiram understood what Sue was telling him. "What was your plan for the rest of the night?"

"I was on my way to wake Noah so we could move Rachel to her own room. Some of the kids have it all ready for her." Sue looked to Noah, wondering how he was coping with the sudden arrival of Rachel's parents. It appeared as if he and Leroy were having a wordless conversation. The sheen of unshed tears was evident in Noah's eyes. Whatever message Leroy was trying to send was failing to make the necessary impact.

"Are the other kids okay?" Hiram's words drew Sue's attention back to the smaller of Rachel's dads.

"I was just checking up on them when I heard you arrive. They're sleeping in the guest bedrooms, though it took a bit of convincing."

"I think, if Noah agrees, we should follow your plan." Leroy spoke for the first time since reaching his home. "Then perhaps we could speak? I know you will be able to tell us what has been going on."

Sue was surprised by Leroy's statement. She had been expecting anger or even accusations, but instead he had spoken calmly, almost as if he was discussing the weather. He looked at her then as if to dare Sue to judge his attitude but the coach just shook her head at him; Leroy and Hiram could deal with the situation however they saw fit and her only objective was to assist them in any way she could.

Sensing that Sue was going to be a worthy ally to have, that she had already grasped how he dealt with stressful events, Leroy offered her the smallest of smiles, which she returned.

Hiram let go of his husband's hand and knelt down beside Noah, who had remained silent throughout all that had just happened. When Hiram went to touch the boy's shoulder he shrunk back like he had been burnt, but was still careful not to jolt Rachel. With a movement of his head, Noah indicated that he would need space if he were to transfer Rachel from the sofa to her bedroom. Ever so slowly and with remarkable patience, Noah stood, Rachel still cradled in his arms, her body covered by the comforter. He took slow, measured steps up to her room, her fathers following behind him, and he placed Rachel onto the bed that Kurt and Brittany had prepared earlier. A problem arose when Noah made to release her hand from its hold on his shirt. Rachel held him tighter, whispering in a tiny broken voice, "Stay with me, please don't leave me."

Hiram and Leroy could only watch as Rachel's words broke the tenuous hold Noah had on his tears. The boy who once proclaimed to be a badass now lowered himself beside their daughter, trying to keep his tears from waking her, and immediately he was locked in a tight embrace by Rachel. "Ray, you're safe. He can't hurt you anymore."

The Berry men looked on as their daughter was comforted by Noah, his own feelings pushed aside once more. As Rachel rested her head on his chest, they noticed the intertwined hands of both rested over Noah's heart. He continued to whisper to her, thought the words made little sense to either of her fathers. The room gradually became quiet. Noah's tears had worn him out so that he, too, slept again and neither teen registered the comforter that was tucked up around them or the light kisses they received from Leroy and Hiram, before being left to their slumber once more.

On entering the kitchen they found that Sue had prepared a light meal for them, which they welcomed. "We looked in on the kids. They're all sleeping, so we can talk privately," Leroy began, being careful with his tone. He was very grateful for all that Sue had done. "From what the police told us, you and Ms Pillsbury have done an incredible job, all things considered."

"Rachel, these kids… I only wish I could have gotten to know them in better circumstances. As it is, they are all coping by pulling together, being strong for each other." Sue, again, felt as if she was speaking uncharacteristically, but it was the truth. She needed Rachel's parents to know she was one hundred per cent committed to their daughter. Leroy and Hiram had long respected the cheerleading coach. They had heard stories from Brittany about how strict Sue was with her girls, but also how encouraging she could be, even if her methods were unorthodox. Even Rachel had never been able to fault the coach's determination and ambition which were similar to her own; she just wished Sue would stop trying to ruin the Glee Club.

"You know, Sue, I'm a bit shocked by your reaction to our arrival home," Hiram said.

"I overheard the end of your conversation with the Unholy Trinity this morning, and then when the police were unable to contact you I guessed you were on the way."

Leroy raised an eyebrow at Sue's nickname for her former cheerleaders, but knew she meant no disrespect to any of the girls.

"I actually thought Quinn would be here." Hiram looked questioningly at Sue, his voice raising in tone at the end of the statement as if he meant it as a question.

"After the police called to tell her about the investigation, her mother wanted Quinn at home for the night." Both of Rachel's father's looked worried, not wanting to cause trouble for the Fabray family, which had suffered enough upheaval in recent years. "I spoke with Judy; she just wanted to see Quinn for herself. It's my understanding that her ex-husband has reacted badly, questioned Judy's parenting skills and threatened to petition for sole custody. Quinn told him to grow up and that no sane judge would make her live with him again." Sue sighed; here was another family who were caught in the ripple effect of Finn Hudson's actions.

"I'll call Judy in the morning and see if she needs any legal advice." Leroy would not want the Fabray women to suffer any unnecessary drama. Quinn's dad was known for his continued and unwelcomed interference in their lives and Finn had handed him a golden opportunity to ignore Quinn's wish for him to stay away.

"Quinn will be here early, I imagine; she has been helping Rachel in the mornings." As Leroy went to interrupt, Hiram guessed why such help was needed.

"Have you seen Rachel's injuries for yourself?"

"Only in photographs" was Sue's short reply. "Dr. Lopez is sure that Rachel hasn't any broken bones, but her movements are somewhat restricted." Again, Sue trailed off, not knowing how to describe Rachel's injuries to her fathers, knowing the details of the attack that had caused them were still unknown to them. Leroy and Hiram looked at each other; the more information they heard, the worse things got and yet even now as they prepared themselves for what Sue would say next, they couldn't bear to hear all that their daughter had been through. Sensing their hesitation Sue broached the subject with them.

"I hope that I'm not overstepping any boundaries here, but maybe it might be best to wait until Rachel wakes up. She feels like the only thing she can control is the flow of information. I could tell you what Rachel told me, but she would probably prefer to talk to you in person, as difficult as that conversation will be for you all."

Leroy agreed with Sue's suggestion, but Hiram looked as if he wanted to argue; he wanted to spare Rachel the trial of having to relive her ordeal. Perhaps it was his clinical nature coming to the fore, or maybe his father's instincts were trying to protect his little girl from any further pain, but he wanted someone else to tell him. He sighed, knowing that the truth of the matter was that having to listen to Rachel would make this nightmare real; there was nothing that could take back those words once they were said out loud. He choked back a scream that suddenly threatened to escape him as the full horror of the situation hit him. Leroy did his best to comfort his husband, while holding back his own tears.

Sue stepped out of the room, giving the men a chance to regroup privately. She straightened up the sitting room, needing to keep busy while she waited. Just as she was fixing the last pillow back into place, she was joined by Rachel's dads who appeared to have made a decision.

"We think you have the right idea about letting Rachel talk to us herself. If she can't tell, though, do you think that you could?" He waited until he saw Sue's nod of agreement, and then he let out a sigh, which turned into a yawn. "I think I'll head up; it's been such a long day and there is nothing more we can do, right?"

"You go ahead. I just want to get Sue set up, maybe bring the officers outside some coffee and I'll join you then," Leroy replied, accepting the brief hug from his husband before watching him go upstairs. As expected, Hiram's footsteps stopped as he reached Rachel's room; no doubt he wanted to make sure she was still sleeping.

When Leroy heard his husband move towards their bedroom, he turned to Sue. "I know it's late but if you could spare me another minute I'd be very grateful."

"It's Noah, right?" Sue answered.

"You're very perceptive, calling him Noah, I mean. Most teachers, most of the adults in Lima for that matter, only see him as Puck, mainly because that's who he wants them to see, but not you. You see beyond the mask he's been wearing." Leroy's respect for the coach was at a new high. For once, Sue was acting modest, as if it wasn't that big of a deal, but Leroy wouldn't accept that.

"Okay, okay," Sue gave in. "Before all this, ever since Q got pregnant, I've noticed a change in him, but these past few days he's really stepped up even though he's been wracked with guilt. I'm guessing that he and Rachel have a friendship that most people don't know about." She gave him a questioning look, and he confirmed her suspicions.

"When his dad left, we got Puck in place of Noah. Rachel always believed he'd eventually find his way back and I think that he's finally home."

"But?" Sue asked, Leroy's tone hinting at something else.

"Before we left, Hiram and I asked Noah to watch out for Rachel and, given everything that's happened and the way he could barely make eye contact with either of us, it looks like he's been eaten up by a misplace sense of guilt." Leroy just hoped that this would not be a setback that would lead to the return of Puck. He knew his anger was growing again and there was still some information he needed, but after all Sue had done, he didn't wanted to subject her to a rant.

"Emma and I are not going to let Puck take over again." Sue's words had Leroy wondering if he had spoken his last thoughts out loud.

"What can you tell me about Finn?" Leroy could no longer contain his need for answers. "I know what the police have told us, how he's accused Mr Schuester, and that he's at home tonight. But you've seen him these past few days, so what can I do to protect my daughter from this monster?" His knuckles were white as he held tightly to the back of a chair. It was the only way to keep him in place and not give into his need to find Finn and give him a lesson on retribution.

"To be blunt, I don't think even the beat down you want to give him would get Finn to admit that he is in the wrong. He has shown no remorse, not even being confronted by his mother affected him. Unlike Will, who may be suffering mentally, Finn just doesn't care." Leroy could sense that Sue was having a difficult time herself, trying to keep her rage inside.

"I'm not sure if Mr Schuester's state of mind could ever excuse his inaction, in my eyes at least. Honestly, I never thought much of him as a teacher and now I think even less." There would be no sympathy for the grown man who had willingly protected his daughter's abuser. Frustrated, Leroy began to pace. All day, he and Hiram had felt so helpless, but they thought that once they reached Rachel they would be able to do something useful, something constructive. All this waiting around though, knowing that Finn was at home with not a shred of guilt at being caught, never mind what he had actually done to Rachel, was almost too much to handle. So how must Rachel be feeling? Trying to stay strong, focusing on the people around her, protecting Finn in spite of all the evil he had done to her. Leroy's heart was breaking as he thought back to how she had looked earlier.

In the low lighting it seemed as if she and Noah had just fallen asleep while watching a movie, but he had seen the bruise on her face as she was carried upstairs. He had noticed the fading marks on her wrists, the small movements that even as she slept caused pain. If only there was something he could do to keep his mind from focusing on what had happened, stop his imagination from running riot as he waited for Rachel to tell him what had been done to her by the boy who had been invited in their home and their lives.

Truth be told, Leroy was angry at himself for not seeing the hidden side of Finn. He often felt proud that he had never failed to see Noah hiding behind all of Puck's questionable behaviour, but he had been fooled by the Hudson boy, or maybe he hadn't paid enough attention to him, because both Hiram and he knew that Rachel belonged with Noah. Anyone else was just a stepping stone, a place holder until Noah returned.

"Don't let Finn make you question yourself; it's just what he wants, what he relies on." Sue felt it was time to interrupt Leroy's inner chastisement of himself. "He fooled a lot of people for a long time. He's still at it now. Don't play his game; it's your best chance at unsettling him and getting him to make a mistake.

"It's true, Mr B." Both adults turned to find Brittany and Santana sitting on the bottom step of the staircase.

"Girls, you should be sleeping." Leroy didn't want any of the gleeks to see him like this, so unsure and so angry. He needed them to believe in him and in his abilities to stay calm and protect them. It was all he had left at this stage. The girls exchange looks, then Brittany approached Leroy in almost the same manner as she had done with Rachel earlier.

"Mr B, you've always treated us like family, like grown-ups, please don't shut us out. Coach S says that families who stick together always win, even if the journey is difficult, right, Coach?" Brittany looked at Sue then, urging her to agree with her statement.

"Britt's right, Leroy. We're all a family now, we support each other any way we can."

"And that is how we send Finn Hudson to jail for the rest of his 'Golden Years'," Brittany finished, leaving Leroy in no doubt that the bubbly girl was a force to be reckoned with.

"Thank you, Britt, Santana, for helping me to see that and for being there for Rachel."

"No thanks needed, Mr B," Santana replied. "You know, you should have a talk with Lauren tomorrow. She has some amazing ways at dealing with pent up rage." As proof Santana held up her hand that was almost back to its normal size.

"Do I even want to know?" Leroy asked, but there was no censure in his voice. "I'll take that under advisement!"

"I think we should all get some rest." Sue hated to interrupt but it was early morning now; Leroy looked dead on his feet and she had heard some footsteps coming from the master bedroom, which suggested that Hiram was not sleeping.

"We can show Coach to her room if you'd like." Brittany's offer was welcomed by Leroy who had been hit by a sudden wave of fatigue; all his earlier anger had left him at the sight of his daughter's adopted sisters, as Santana had named them at one of their last sleepovers.

"I'll check all the house is locked up, Leroy, though I don't have to stay if you'd prefer..." Sue didn't get to finish her sentence; the look on Leroy's face was enough to tell her she was staying. He gave Britt and Santana quick hugs as he finally made his was upstairs, pausing outside Rachel's room. The couple had moved very little, lying very close to one another. This time it was Rachel's hand that rested over Noah's heart, as if the rhythm was helping her to sleep, while Noah gently caressed her hair with his free hand. Even with the slight change in their position, they were still linked by their fingers which were tangled together, though the grip was slightly relaxed. It was as if both knew the other was there, that there was no chance of either of them leaving. So in time were they with each other that Leroy couldn't help but see how their breathing was in sync.

Leaving the sleeping pair, he entered his bedroom to find his husband almost asleep, but the sound of his feet on the carpet was enough for Hiram to sit up suddenly.

"It's just me, love." Leroy rushed to get ready for bed; the house was quiet indicating that the girls and Sue were also settled for what remained of the night. "Sorry I was longer than I thought."

"Had Sue any idea for how to proceed?" Hiram replied.

"She just gave me a few more details about the Hudson boy." Leroy couldn't bring himself to say Finn's name out loud. Sensing this, Hiram took Leroy's hand again and kissed it softly.

"We'll get through this; all of us - Rachel, the kids, us. We won't let one person's actions destroy us." Leroy took comfort from these words. Unlike his own habit of using his emotions to find a solution, Hiram always took time by himself to see all sides of a problem, to ponder all the pros and cons before deciding what to do next, never failing to take Leroy's wished and feelings into consideration.

"Everyone else is sleeping." Hiram changed the subject, drawing closer to Leroy, feeling relieved as his husband began to relax. Unable to hold back a yawn, Leroy nodded his head in reply, his eyes refusing to stay open any longer. He failed to see that Hiram's medical bag was resting on the bedside locker. "Night, love," he whispered, hearing Hiram's breathing slow as both men finally slept, though neither could escape the re-enactment of their daughter's attack, the missing information filled in by their subconscious, creating such vivid imagery that was torture to them both. Fighting to wake up, to escape from the living nightmare they were in, a heart wrenching scream tore through the house, shattering the silence, leaving chaos in its wake. Leroy and Hiram were out of bed at once and ran towards the source of the screams, their daughter's bedroom.

**A.N. So it has been pointed out to me that this chapter is not the most action packed, and I think many of you were expecting Leroy and Hiram to be all guns blazing on their return, which didn't happen, but I'm hoping you can all understand where they/I am coming from. I can promise there will be a showdown between the Daddies Berry and one Finn Hudson, I just can't say when that will happen. **

**While I go and hide, I would encourage you to let me know what you think, what you would like to see, you all know how much I love to hear from you. ~Carrie**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thanks to all who continue to read/alert and review this story. I am so grateful to you all for the encouragement I get from you.:)**

**To xXLittle Rose AngelXx thanks for all your hard work and dedication, sorry for nearly making you miss the bus when you were working on this chapter.**

**Warning: This chapter contains material that some readers may find distressing. It is not graphic but could be considered a trigger. **

Ever since the encounter with Finn in the locker room, which she tried her best to block out of her mind, time had become meaningless to Rachel. Days, hours, minutes, seconds were all the same - a blend of denial, pain, confusion and fear, a continuous fight to stay in control, to not give in to the darkness that threatened to claim her the minute she relaxed the slightest.

She let others worry about what clothes she wore or if her hair was brushed, she forced down small mouthfuls of food and struggled to keep it down. Rachel's main concern was to keep breathing – in, out, in, out – and to keep moving, one foot in front of the other, and repeat. If you were moving _he_ couldn't get you, couldn't hurt those you loved.

She had some dim memory of floating, of a cool metal followed by a pinch and then she was no longer tied, no longer held down by cruel words, by the heavy weight of _him_. Just breathe. If she tried too hard to access that memory, the floodgates would open, allowing all the painful images out. It was better to ignore it all, even if she'd never be able to find that place again. She could float away, never to return.

Rachel was also tied by those who loved her. Why should she be the only one to escape? Poor Brittany had been so upset yesterday, or was it today? Did it really matter when Britt had been sad? What had caused her tears? Rachel was no stranger to tears herself. There were those that escaped without her permission, clouding her vision, keeping her from moving. Tears were a weakness, a distraction; she wouldn't give into them again. She had to keep moving. Keep breathing.

A familiar smell caught her attention, but Rachel couldn't find the energy to open her eyes to locate its origin. It wasn't Noah; that, she was sure of. Noah always smelt good, safe even, which was a strange thing to think but it was true. She could never describe it properly, but she always knew when he was close by, even in the days of the Slushie Facials. Wearing his clothes had been like a layer of armour that no one could get through.

Rachel wished that she could get her words back, her ability to articulate what she was feeling, but that required too much effort at the moment. Maybe one of the gleeks could do that for her as well as everything else?

She missed her Dads. The thought slipped out. She wanted her parents by her side to help with all the difficult tasks she couldn't manage. Maybe that would give her friends a break. They must be as tired as she was, looking after themselves as well as her. She was such a burden on everyone. Maybe _he_ was right all along.

"Rachel." The Noah voice in her head berated her for believing that lie.

"I am Rachel Barbra Berry. I don't give in." Even she was unconvinced by the weakness of both her voice and her statement.

"Give it time, Ray. Just Breathe." Noah was back, his voice soft but certain. He believed in her, so she would fight for him, to protect the person she lov-… She shot that idea down quickly. Enough people she cared about had been hurt by her, _because_ of her. Not Noah, not again. He meant too much to her to allow him to be used by the person whose name she couldn't say. If she were stronger, she would send Noah away, out of his reach, but she was selfish enough to beg him to stay.

"Don't leave me." Rachel welcomed Noah's tight embrace, holding him as close to her as she could, soaking up all that made him Noah - his smell, his touch, his warmth. She was always cold now, no matter what Quinn dressed her in, no matter how many comforters were wrapped around her. The only time Rachel felt any heat was when Noah was near, holding her hand, allowing her to rest in the shelter of his arms, so that she could focus on her breathing, stay moving.

Even as she rested in her dreams, Rachel never stayed still. Her mind raced the whole time, images and sounds flashing passed her, none making sense. There was no order to her memory's attempts to truly accept what had happened. Rachel had tried that once. She had stood up to _him_, and for what? Nothing she had said had made any difference to how he looked at her - as if he were searching for the marks he had left on her skin, could see beneath the clothes she wore. She was once again half-naked and at his mercy.

Rachel had known in that moment that she would never be free; never able to relax fully. He would come for her again, would take what he wanted the most. Not her virginity; that was just a bonus. No, Finn wanted her soul, wanted her to know that he owned her, that the gift she had been saving for Noah would never be given.

Rachel wanted to fight back, wanted to stop Finn, but how could she when breathing used up so much of her energy? She was drowning in 'what-if's and suppressed memories, warnings of what Finn was really like, of how they had all been so badly misled by the not-so-innocent boy.

In one brief moment of insanity, Rachel had considered going to Finn, allowing him to take what he wanted from her; to sacrifice herself to protect her friends. The reaction of the Noah in her head had been swift, and left her in no doubt of the madness of her idea. Finn would never let her leave. Instead of freeing her friends, they would all be trapped.

Rachel listened as Noah urged her to keep moving, to keep breathing. Together they would find a way forward; none of her friends would ever forgive themselves if she went to Finn.

"He'd never let you go, Ray. You'd never be able to see us, except when he chose to show you off."

She knew as he spoke the words that it was completely true. A wave of giddiness suddenly came over her. She was officially crazy; not only was she listening to the voices in her head, but she was conversing with them, letting them make decisions for her. Maybe the student population of McKinley had been right to christen her 'Crazy Berry'.

The moment passed quickly and Rachel became aware of a sudden movement beside her. Noah was in trouble. She could feel his heartbeat grow quicker as he tried to free himself from her hold. Though she wanted to help him, Rachel found herself unable to let go. If she lost him now she would surely lose herself, give into Finn, whose voice was only kept at bay when Noah was near; give in to her doubt and her fear.

She felt the gentle touch of Noah's hand through her hair. He didn't want to leave her after all. His hand moved from her hair to her shoulder, moving her closer to him, placing her head near to his heart, where she could hear the gentle beating beneath his heart. Its rhythm was back to normal now, and it was very hypnotic to her, even in her current state of mind.

His fingers, calloused by years of guitar playing, now moved softly from her neck to the middle of her back. This was no random pattern, of that she was sure. She allowed his touch to soothe her, to calm her racing mind until she stumbled on an answer in the form of a happy memory - a rarity these days. Noah was playing their song, using her in the place of his missing guitar. It was a lullaby for her that only Noah could play, reminding Rachel that she was special, safe and loved.

Even as the silent melody weaved its spell around them both, Rachel made up her mind to take back her life, to do more than just breathe and keep moving. The first thing she would do when she woke up was call her dads, ask them to come home. On second thoughts, there was something else to do first. She had to tell Noah how she felt, had to say it out loud before anything else could happen. She wanted nothing to taint what they had, or the future they could share once Finn was dealt with. Even if Noah couldn't or didn't share her feelings, she had to tell him. In fact, why wait? They had been dancing around each other for years; it was time to act, to have one good thing come out of this nightmare. She would make something beautiful out of such an ugly time.

Rachel forced her eyes open, blinking to adjust to the light in the room. She didn't remember the drive home from school, but she was fairly certain that she had been resting on the sofa in the sitting room, not in her bedroom. Not that it really mattered, not when Noah was looking into her eyes like that, as if the spell would break if he so much as blinked.

Rachel realised he'd been crying at some point, which was unsettling. She couldn't remember a time when that had happened; his dad leaving, giving up Beth, the most life changing moments of his life that she could recall hadn't led to Noah shed any tears. Had something or someone hurt him while she had been asleep? Rachel tried to gather her thoughts again, to enjoy the touch of his hands on her skin, the gentle wisp of his breath. She wondered at the way the colour of his eyes was darker - a side effect of his tears.

They stared at each other for a long time, leaving nothing hidden, allowing the other to learn the secrets they had long kept buried.

"Don't say it, Ray. Please."

Not the response Rachel had been expecting. She knew she hadn't misread the love in his eyes, hoped Noah had seen the sentiment returned in her own. Why that desperate and heart wrenching plea?

"When can I?" she whispered in return, trusting Noah without fail.

"When the fear is gone; when we are free." His words hung in the stillness of the room and Rachel knew that he was right. They had to put Finn behind bars, undo all the damage her had caused, and rebuild their family so that none of his toxic influence remained. Only then could they all move on, and Rachel could have Noah back completely.

"You'll stay with me?" she asked.

"I'll never leave, Ray. I'm done running." Noah was holding back, she could tell, but she was afraid to put pressure on him. He would tell her in time and she would never stop showing him how much she loved him until she was finally able to say those eight letters out loud for all to hear.

For now, she had three more important words for Noah, words that couldn't be put off no matter how much he might try.

"Forgive yourself, Noah." It was a non-negotiable order. Rachel would not allow any guilt to destroy him. As much as she had to overcome, Noah also had a long recovery ahead of him. She wanted to be happy, to have her dreams come true, but without Noah she would never be complete. How could she truly embrace life once more knowing that he still blamed himself, like the real lost boy that Finn liked to imitate?

"Think of all you'll miss out on if you don't forgive yourself, Noah. Don't give up on yourself. Please." Rachel hoped her words could convince him to at least try. In reply, Noah brought her hand to his lips, a chaste kiss as a sign of his promise to her, his eyes never leaving hers. Rachel went to say something but Noah placed his finger on her lips and she froze at his touch. Her heart began to beat faster and she felt as if she were on fire.

The look in Noah's eyes was unreadable, as if he too was stuck, waiting for some sign. It was like that night a lifetime ago. They moved towards one another without thought, their senses guiding them.

When their lips met it was gentle at first, the lightest of touches. The air around them seemed to crackle with static and the only sounds that could be heard was the staccato beats of their racing hearts. Noah made to pull away but Rachel caught hold of him, deepening the kiss as much as she dared, not wanting to frighten him. This was not the same as that first kiss, or the make-out sessions that they'd had that week two years ago. It was more innocent than any they had shared and yet more powerful. They couldn't yet acknowledge their love out loud, but they both needed to show the other the depths of their feelings and remind themselves what they were fighting for.

Taking his cue from Rachel, Noah carefully put more pressure into the kiss, knowing when to hold back and when to go further. His hands were in her hair and on her back, but Rachel always knew that she could move if she became the least bit uncomfortable. For her part, she was content to leave one hand over his heart and the other caressing the nape of his neck.

What had begun as an almost hesitant kiss was slowing growing in power, both becoming lost to the sensations, in time with the movements and emotions of the other. Eventually, they broke apart and, with one last kiss to the corner of her mouth, Noah moved back to give Rachel the chance to catch her breath, his own breathing just as erratic.

This time the darkening of his eyes was not due to tears, but love, and for this reason alone he had been able to contain certain of his body's normal responses to the kiss that contained no trace of lust. Rachel tried to memorise as much of the happiness she was feeling, relieved that this moment with Noah had not been ruined by fear.

There was a long road ahead. As magical as that kiss had been, it didn't wipe away all that had been done to her. However, where her mind had been awash with chaos and despair, she now embraced the hope and possibilities that were still waiting for her.

"Sleep, Ray," Noah whispered to her, pulling her close again.

This time when the nightmare came, when she found herself back in the locker room, she fought back soon, fought harder to stop Finn. She refused to give in for as long as possible, until the scene chanced. Rachel could only watch in horror as Finn tortured Noah, her screams and pleas trapped in her throat and silence by a gag made up of the hood from Noah's sweatshirt. The more she struggled, the more difficult it became to remind herself that this wasn't real, that Noah was safe. He had to be safe. Breathe, Rachel. Her mantra came flooding back.

Just as the Finn in her nightmare began to stab Noah, Rachel suddenly sat up in bed. A terrible scream from within the house wakened her. It grew louder as she heard people running towards her, but somewhere in the middle of all the noise was Noah's voice calling to her. Was he safe? Was she? Who was screaming? Was no one looking for the girl who sounded as if she was fighting for her life? The room was flooded with a bright light and her dads burst in through the door. She must be still asleep if they were here. Could no one find that girl who was screaming still? Her voice was getting weaker.

"Ray. Rach. Rachel."

She tried to focus on Noah's voice and again felt that cool metallic pinch. Soon, she thought giddily, she would be floating. Could Noah float? She would have to ask him. Wait, the screaming was dying down. Had they found the girl? She tried to speak but floating and speaking were difficult to do at the same time. Noah's voice seemed so far away again.

"Stay with me, won't you, Noah?"

"Always, Ray."

**A.N. Another cliffhanger, but I really felt I had to end the chapter there, the next chapter is with my beta so I promise to not leaving you waiting too long.**

**Due to real life committments there may not be as many updates over the next few weeks as I would like, but I will try to get at least one chapter posted every week. **

**I am really interested to know what you think of this chapter and any other thoughts or comments you may have, so please feel free to get in touch and as always thanks for reading :) ~Carrie**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. A million thanks to all who continue to read/alert and review this story and have been waiting for this new chapter.**

**Thanks as always to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being a super dedicated beta :)**

Hiram was waiting for someone to wake him up, to tell him that he hadn't just been forced to sedate his only child. Rachel's screams had woken the whole house, as well as the officers who had been keeping watch and had rushed to see what the disturbance was. Once the sedative had taken effect, it took some time to convince Noah to leave Rachel's side so that Sue could treat the grazes that Rachel had left on his arms and hands in her struggle to fight the Finn of her night terror. He had only agreed when Brittany had promised to stay with Rachel and had begun to brush her friend's hair. "Go ahead, Noah; you need to look your best for Rach." Brittany would accept no arguments from him, so Noah let Sue wash and bandage his injuries, staying quiet the whole time, wondering how things had changed so quickly yet again.

Hiram came to sit beside Noah, to reassure him that the sedative wasn't hurting Rachel and also to ask if he had any idea what had made Rachel react so badly. "When Leroy was going to bed he checked in on you both and he thought you were sound asleep."

"We woke up. I'm not sure what time that was. Rachel seemed calmer, peaceful somehow, as if she had reached a decision on something important, like the time she chose Babs over Idina."

Noah wondered if he was being too flippant, too random, but Hiram understood. "And what was that decision?"

Noah hesitated; his conversations with Rachel were private and he didn't want either of her dads to question his motives, especially when they trusted him to share a bed with their daughter. "It's okay, son; Leroy and I know you have a close bond with Rachel."

"It's not okay" Noah burst out. "I should have known better than to kiss her, but you've got to believe I never meant to scare her, I swear."

"Noah, listen to me. It wasn't your kiss that made her scream out like that. It was like she was trying to find you. You have to know how important you are to her." Hiram's words failed to make on impact on Noah, who went on as if the man had never spoken.

"But I couldn't protect her. You must hate me. All I've done these last few years is cause her pain. What have I done?" Noah was shaking at this stage and Hiram knew that if he couldn't get him to take a breath, he too would need sedation.

Looking around to find his husband, Hiram instead saw Brittany exchange a few words with Santana and he watched as the girls swapped places and Britt made her way over to join him. She sat cross-legged in front of Noah and took his hand in her own. Hiram recognised the look on her face as what the gleeks had christened her "no-nonsense" look.

"Noah, you need to stop that right now. Do you want Daddy Berry to send you to sleep? He will if you don't take a few deep breaths and compose yourself. Rachel is safe, we're all here and none of us blame you."

"I shouldn't have kissed her, she's not ready. I rushed it and now look at her." Noah couldn't keep his eyes off of Rachel. "She's so small; she never stood a chance against him. Against me. I deserve more than these few cuts."

Brittany had heard enough; she hated that her beloved Puckleberry had faltered so soon, and she knew that Rachel's nightmare would set Noah back if she didn't do something to save the day. "You spoke, you kissed, and you went to sleep. How am I doing so far?" Ignoring the protest that formed on Noah's lips, she continued. "You tried to comfort Rachel when her nightmare started, tried to reach her but you couldn't. You were so focused on Rachel that you failed to realise that she was scratching you. You didn't hear what she was saying. Rachel was trying to get to you, not away from you. I'm serious, Noah. Ask Kurt, ask Blaine, ask Sue; any of them will tell you the same thing."

"You never lie, Britt. I'm sorry for upsetting you." His words were rushed in his panic to fix yet another mistake he had made.

"Noah, I hate that you think a Puckleberry kiss could ever hurt Rachel. Puckleberry is a wonderful thing, Noah; never forget that." The certainty in Brittany's voice was unquestionable, not that Noah would ever dream of contradicting Brittany.

Leroy was watching the interaction between the two teens in fascination. Noah's body was still once more; his eyes had lost their frenzied look, and overall he looked more in control of himself, though his attention was fixed on Rachel. Brittany wasn't finished; she knew that Hiram needed to know all that had happened so that he could treat Rachel correctly and could recognise the trigger if there was one. "Before you woke up, how was Rachel doing?"

Leroy wondered if this was one of Brittany's random questions. After all, if Noah was also asleep, how would he know?

"Her heartbeat was racing, but her breathing wasn't. Like this afternoon at lunch. I don't think it was a nightmare, Britt. It was different but I'm not sure how."

"What else, son?" Hiram followed Brittany's example, speaking quietly to the boy whose own pulse had been a cause of concern mere moments before.

"Don't worry about using grown-up words, Noah."

"How did you know Britt?"

She just shrugged, urging him to continue; now was not the time to reveal her secrets. "I can't explain it. I just felt a change, like she was calling out to me and, even though I was still so tired, I knew she needed me to help her find her way. I opened my eyes and waited, I'm not sure for how long, but when she woke, she was my Rachel, my Ray, again."

"But?" Both Brittany and Hiram could tell that Noah was reluctant to continue.

"Rachel wanted to say something. To tell me something I've been waiting to hear for so long, but I knew it wasn't the right time, not with everything else and she understood. I swear I put no pressure on her."

As Noah's voice took on a slightly more agitated edge, Hiram hurried to reassure him. "Noah, it's okay. No one here thinks you would ever force Rachel to do or say anything against her will. Just before you went back to sleep, how was she?"

Noah took a few greedy gulps of air, trying to hold back the storm of emotions that were brewing inside of him. "Peaceful, at least at first, but even when she began to struggle it was different. Like she was winning somehow, and then she was screaming and I thought she was fighting me. Why else would she be calling my name like that?" Noah's voice caught as he tried to remember anything else that might help.

"I think you and Rachel should get more rest now, Noah. And if you promise to not worry I won't get Daddy Berry to inject you." Once again, Brittany was in charge, but Noah was only too glad to let her take control of the situation. Rachel had been trying to save him; she didn't need to wake up and find him gone. "Let's get you tucked up, then; we grown-ups are going to talk." It was yet another of Brittany's quirky yet insightful statements that no one would ever question or argue with.

"Ms Pierce has spoken; let's leave her to her work. We'll meet you downstairs." Leroy was glad to have something to do and he ushered everyone away from the room, leaving Brittany to the task, aided by a timid Kurt. Blaine and Santana had disappeared once Brittany and Hiram had begun their conversation with Noah, and Leroy was anxious to see how they were doing. The smell of fresh coffee and toasted bagels greeted him and he noted that the clock showed the time to be half six. Sue was just closing the front door, having delivered a warm breakfast to the officers and informing them that Rachel was fine once more but had suffered one of her debilitating panic attacks, this time in her sleep. Brittany arrived downstairs, Kurt having elected to stay and keep watch on Rachel and Noah.

"Am I right in thinking that this is not the first panic attack or nightmare Rachel has had?" Leroy was done waiting for answers, so the tone of his question was more sharp than usual.

"Rachel has flashbacks. It's like she gets lost in the past. It's not just last Friday, but other times when Finn may have acted out, though most of the time it's the first any of us have heard of the event." Blaine spoke for the first time; the sound of Rachel screaming and the pained look on Noah's face had shaken him and so he was eager to give Rachel's parents any information that might help. The time for keeping secrets was over.

"She's kept so much hidden to protect us; it goes back months and none of us figured it out." Santana's anger was back; how could they have missed so many warning signs?

"There has been enough unnecessary blame for one night, Santana; unless you saw first-hand one of Finn's attacks on our daughter, either physical or mental, there is nothing you could have done otherwise." Leroy would not allow anyone take responsibility for the actions of Finn, especially when the boy himself saw no wrong doings in what he had done.

"We've always been able to bring her back before. The only time she had to be sedated was when Mom and Ms Puckerman saw her Friday evening. It was the only way that they could see if she had any broken bones, and even then mom was worried about a concussion." Santana looked at Hiram, hoping he would not find fault with Rachel's medical care. They had acted as best they could in the circumstances. "We kept her clothes, got swabs and as much evidence as we could. Mom made sure it was all done properly. That had to help, right?" Santana felt as if she had developed word-vomit; all of a sudden she was trying to remember Lauren's instructions for channelling her desire to lash out into something productive and everything she had kept bottled up at Rachel's request was spilling out of her with no filter.

Mimicking his husband's early actions with Noah, Leroy sat beside Santana and tried his best to let the girl know she had done nothing wrong. "It's okay. Your mom left us a letter; it's how Hiram knew about the sedation for Rachel. You did the right thing." At Santana's look of relief, Leroy went on. "I feel like a broken record here, but given the circumstances, I'll say it again. Not one of you is in the wrong. You have protected and cared for Rachel as best as you could. If you hadn't called us we would still be away from Rachel. You found a way to keep your promise and help her at the same time. There is nothing more you could have done." Seeing that his words were registering with the girl, Leroy asked, "This evidence you have - where is it now?"

"The physical evidence was handed over to the police - photographs and so on. Her swabs are being tested at the moment and then will be passed on to the police. Dr Lopez was trying to protect the chain of custody as much as possible," Sue answered. "Quinn and Brittany also saved Rachel's clothes which are safe and can be handed to the police in the morning, or I can go get them now?"

Leroy shook his head. "It was a good idea, girls, but I don't think the police can use them as evidence. If Sue has them safe I'll be sure to ask."

"Should we have done something with them? It's been so difficult thinking like an adult, you know?" Brittany was worrying her lower lip as she waited for Leroy's reply.

"Britt, you did great and we could be lucky enough that there won't be an issue about the clothes. It was wrong of me to be negative."

"That's fine, Mr B. We tried to remember everything from the classes you gave San during the summer. She said they were more reliable than taking advice from Horatio and his sunglasses."

Hiram burst out laughing which he turned into a cough just as fast. Sometimes Britt said the strangest things, but her heart was in the right place and he wouldn't alienate her or Santana for any reason. Brittany looked at him fondly, as if she were the parent and he was the small child that had unwittingly said something funny.

"Do you prefer Hotch and his team of crime fighters?" The question was asked seriously but somehow managed to lighten the mood in the room. "How long will Puckleberry be asleep for?"

"I'm not sure, Britt. I didn't give Rachel a full dose; just enough to allow her to sleep. Her nerves weren't able to handle much more. She needs as much quiet and rest as possible, but she also needs to be as coherent as she can handle or the sedative could backfire and lead to more panic attacks, which we don't want."

"And Noah?" Blaine wanted to know.

"That's even more difficult to predict. I just hope he stays asleep as long as Rachel does. They both looked worn out."

"What can we do?" Blaine was anxious to keep busy.

"The police will be here to talk to you all, though Kurt has to wait for his dad before he can be interviewed." The boy in question had been silent since arriving downstairs. He was trying not to freak out but her really needed his dad.

As if Leroy could read his thoughts, he addressed Kurt. "If you want to go home or even have you Dad come here, we can arrange it for you."

"Please don't think badly of me, but I just have to see him." Kurt couldn't bring himself to look around the room and see the disappointment on the faces of his friends.

"Look at me, Kurt," Hiram spoke quickly. "There is no judgement in this house. We are all family. If you'd like to call home to make arrangements, then please go ahead."

"Tell your dad that I can drive you to where ever you have to go," Sue offered, knowing that neither of the Berry parents would be leaving their daughter anytime in the near future.

"I can go with you, if you'd like." Blaine didn't want his boyfriend to be alone if he didn't have to be, but he didn't want to get in the way either.

"You are not abandoning any of us, Kurt, so make the call." Brittany made the decision for Kurt, going so far as to grab his phone and dialling Burt's number. She handed the phone back to her friend and pushed him out of the kitchen so he could talk in private. Blaine paused, not really sure what to do, until Brittany nudged him in Kurt's direction, who automatically reached for his boyfriend's hand. The call didn't last long; Kurt would go home for a few hours, spend time with Burt, and Sue would accompany him there, waiting outside the Hummel home just in case the family were called into the police station during the visit. Blaine decided to go as well, though he was prepared to wait in the car with Sue unless Kurt wanted him to join him inside the house. The less contact any of them had with Finn the better and Kurt had already been warned that he wouldn't be able to speak with Carole for the time being.

"Kurt, Blaine, please have some breakfast. You too, Sue," Hiram insisted. He wanted Burt to see that he and Leroy would take care of his son, just as Burt had looked out for Rachel.

Santana's phone began to ring. "It's Q; please excuse me for a minute." She left the kitchen to update Quinn on the arrival of Rachel's dads, explaining to her why she had not had the opportunity to call before. Quinn understood, of course. She wanted to know when she should arrive, having promised to wash Rachel's hair for her. When Santana raised the question, Leroy asked if he could speak to Quinn and her mother, so Santana handed her phone over.

The group going to the Hummel house was ready to leave, and the girls gave hugs to both boys. Brittany refused to let Sue leave without a hug of her own. "Yes, Britt, my phone is fully charged. You can call me if you need to," Sue assured the girl, knowing that she would have at least two messages before she reached her destination.

On their way out Sue told Hiram that the patrol officers were looking for him. It was almost time for the shift change so they were not to worry if they saw new faces outside, and to also remember that the replacement team would be in an unmarked car now that it was brighter out. Hiram thanked the men for their efforts and wished them a good rest after long hours spent cooped up in the squad car. He brought in their used cups and utensils from their breakfast, which Santana took from him and placed into the dishwasher. She then handed him a fresh cup of coffee, just how he liked it, and watched as Brittany led the man upstairs, where the sound of movement suggested that at least one half of Puckleberry was waking.

Leroy had already gone up but was waiting on the threshold of Rachel's room, watching as both she and Noah seemed to wake up simultaneously and tried to adjust to the half light in the room. For the time being they were in their own world, Rachel carefully examining Noah's cuts before lifting her fingers and sweeping a stray hair back into place in his Mohawk. Noah seemed content to follow her hand on its journey, his eyes checking to see if she was really awake, listening to her breathing for the smallest signs of distress. His assessment complete, he released a slow breath, tangling his fingers with hers and gently pulling her closer to him, placing chaste kisses on her forehead, the tip of her nose and the corner of her mouth. That last kiss seemed to spark a memory in Rachel's mind.

"Is it time yet, Noah?" she sounded so hopeful.

Even though his answer was not what she wanted to hear, he murmured, "Not yet, Ray. Soon, I promise."

Rachel accepted his words and offered him her free hand, which he kissed and placed over his heart.

"It's yours, Ray. Always has been." Noah hoped that this was enough to tide Rachel over until they were free to say what they both wanted to say.

As Brittany was not taking any chances when the future of Puckleberry was being decided, she led the Berry Daddies to their bedroom, knowing that Rachel and Noah would come looking for them. She was rewarded a few minutes later when Noah called out to her, and nothing could hold back Leroy and Hiram from going to Rachel. Remembering that their daughter would be easily startled, they managed to walk slowly into the room. She was still in bed, but Noah had arranged her pillows so that she could sit up in comfort.

"Dad. Daddy. You're really here? It wasn't a dream?"

"No, Star, we're here." Hiram sat on one side of Rachel, while Leroy hovered at the end of the bed.

"Rach? I'm going to bring Noah with me for a little while. He needs to get tidied up a bit. That's okay, right?" Britt knew that Rachel should spend some alone time with her dads and, while they wouldn't mind Noah being there, he needed to be made pretty for Rachel.

"Thanks, Britt. Take good care of him, though?" Rachel whispered.

"Of course, Rach. Do you need anything before we go?"Brittany replied

"I'll be okay with my dads here" was Rachel's soft response.

As Brittany led Noah out of Rachel's room, he took one last look at Rachel and stopped moving, noting the look in her eye. "Just a second, Britt." Brittany lightly tapped her foot at this delay, but her mild annoyance was forgotten when Noah removed his shirt and gave it to Rachel, who pulled it over her head and seemed to relax once it was on her. Another look passed between them and then both looked guiltily at Brittany's discreet cough. "Sorry," they both mumbled, and just like that the tension in the room was lifted.

"I know you must have so much to ask, but could we just sit here for a few minutes, please?" Rachel asked. She was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, but didn't want to hurt her dads' feelings.

"Whatever you need, Star." Hiram checked on her pulse, which seemed much steadier, and her voice had lost its hysterical edge. Though quieter, Rachel sounded more like herself. Seeing that Hiram appeared satisfied with his quick examination, Leroy asked if he could hug her.

"Of course, Dad."

Leroy had noticed that one of Rachel's shoulders was tenderer than the other, if the way Noah held her was any indication, so he was careful to move Rachel slowly until she was secure in his arms. Hiram was holding Rachel's hand and the family stayed silent, each glad to be reunited at last.

"You're not angry, are you? With me or the others?" It was important to Rachel that her friends received no blame for any of the choices she had made.

"As much as we would have liked to have been here for you sooner, we understand." Leroy's voice mimicked his daughters, his answer just above a whisper.

"Who called you? It wasn't Noah, so who was it?" Rachel's questions continued.

"If we're not angry, you can't be, right?" Hiram asked.

"I want to say thank you, Daddy. I was trying to be brave. To prove that I could fix this but that was stupid. I'm stupid just like he..." Rachel cut herself off. Hadn't she decided to fight back, to not let Finn win? "I was irrational, not stupid."

"Everyone copes differently, darling. The brain can overrule every other sense, every other instinct. It does whatever it can to survive. There is no blame here." Hiram was proud of how Rachel had not given into the words that must have been a method of Finn's emotional abuse. It was a small victory for her and hopefully the first of many. Leroy wondered if Rachel had shrunk; she felt tiny in his arms. Maybe now he and Hiram were home they could get Rachel to eat more. "Do you feel hungry?" he asked.

"A little, I guess." Rachel didn't sounding convincing; it was almost as if she was saying what she thought her dads wanted to hear.

Both men had agreed not to push her to do anything she didn't want to. Brittany had other ideas. She hadn't risked her friendships with Rachel to get her dads home only for Rachel to continue to starve herself. With a knock on the door she let herself into the room. Noah was downstairs with strict instructions to eat all his breakfast, to call his mom and then to help Santana with the dishes or she would be very unhappy.

"Rach, I need to ask you something. I don't want to make you sad or scared so I've been waiting for you dads to get here." Rachel waited and Brittany continued. "I know you've been upset, but that's not the only reason you haven't been eating, is it? Blaine and I have made so many yummy meals for you but you never finish them." Rachel stayed silent. "Did he call you the three letter word?" Neither Leroy nor Hiram could doubt who she was referring to, but the rest of her question confused them. Rachel opened and closed her mouth trying to answer. "Do I need to call you Barbra? You know how I hate having to middle name anyone. Don't say sorry, Rach, just tell the truth."

"Yes." Rachel struggled to force the word out but was rewarded by one of Brittany's big smiles.

"I know you know this, but have just forgotten. You are not and never have been fat. Or ugly. Or stupid or whatever else that excuse of a human said to you." Rachel nodded, not able to speak.

The doorbell rang. "I'm going to let Quinn in and while she's helping you I'll be making your breakfast." And with that, Brittany jumped up, made a quick detour to the ensuite, then back to the bedroom, dropped kisses on all three members of the Berry family, before skipping downstairs where her greeting to Quinn could be heard by all in the house. Not wanting to spook Rachel, her dads continued to hold her, vowing to speak with Brittany about what other ideas she had concerning Finn's treatment of their little girl.

The next knock on the door heralded the arrival of Quinn. "Are you ready, Ray?" At Rachel's quiet yes, her dads gave her room to move slowly from the bed.

"Do you want us to wait, Star?" Leroy asked.

"I'm a bit slow getting ready, but don't go far please."

"Of course, Star. She's all yours, Quinn; we'll be in our room if anyone needs us."

"Actually, my mom is downstairs waiting to see you, Mr B." Quinn looked in Leroy's direction, hating to take him away from Rachel for even the smallest amount of time.

"No problem; I'll be there directly." Leroy's quick response and smile let Quinn know that he had been expecting to speak with her mother.

"Dad, Daddy?" The men paused in the doorway, waiting to see what Rachel needed. "I love you both so much."

"Oh, darling, we love you too." Hiram's eyes were slightly glassy looking, Rachel's words tearing at his heart.

"Can you stay please?" she asked.

"Daddy will, just until I speak with Judy and check on Noah. I'll be back then." Leroy left Rachel in Quinn's capable hands and Hiram smiled at Santana, who appeared once she heard the door to the ensuite close. "We thought we might freshen Rach's bed."

Once again, Hiram was overcome by the compassion and thoughtfulness of the gleeks, and he set about helping her with the task, wondering how Quinn was getting on with Rachel. He would have been happy to see her just then. Quinn had run a bath and, as the steam filled the room, Rachel saw a message that Brittany had left on the mirror for her. "Never forget how special you are."

"Britt's work?" Quinn asked as she carefully set about washing Rachel's hair, noting that the bruises on her body were changing colour - a sure sign that they must be healing at last. Rachel never asked about them, so Quinn was never sure if her friend was truly aware of how she had been branded during Finn's attack. She certainly never asked to look at the pictures that Quinn insisted on taking each morning, just reminded the girl to ensure that whatever clothes she was to wear that day would cover any trace of her injuries. Helping Rachel out of the bath, Quinn wrapped her in two big fluffy towels and called for Santana to take over while she got fresh clothes for Rachel.

"Q." Rachel's hesitant speech halted her in her tracks. "Do you think… could you ask…" Rachel struggled with her warring emotions. She knew what she wanted, what would help her get through the day, but was concerned about how her request might appear to a stranger, to someone who didn't know her.

"A button down or a t-shirt?" Quinn asked, keeping her voice neutral. The decision had to be Rachel's.

"Whatever he can spare." Although she was still speaking quietly, Rachel sounded more certain of herself, as if she weren't going to allow any second guessing to keep her from what she needed. Quinn wasn't long on her errand, as once again Brittany's forward thinking and Noah's desire to do anything he could for his girl had meant that several articles of clothes belonging to Noah had been left ready for Rachel.

Hiram was also there watching with curiosity as Quinn put together an outfit for his daughter. "Do you think you'll take much longer?" he asked.

"With San's help, maybe thirty minutes," Quinn replied.

"I'm not rushing you. Leroy and I would like to speak with Noah; now might be a good time." Catching Hiram's meaning, Quinn gathered up her supplies and went back to the ensuite.

Some forty-five minutes later, Rachel was making her way downstairs wearing leggings and one of Noah's shirts that Quinn had turned into a dress. Her feet were bare and made no noise on either the stairs or the wooden floor in the hallway, so for that reason none of the three men in the sitting room heard her approach. Leroy was just releasing Noah from a tight hug and was almost knocked to his feet by his husband, such was Hiram's rush to embrace the teen. Noah, who although a good bit taller than Rachel's father, looked like a small boy receiving comfort, caught as he was in that reassuring embrace. There were tell-tale signs of tears on all three of their faces, but Rachel saw something else in Noah's eyes that had been absent for some time now. It was a cross between hope and peace and she could only wish that because of whatever her fathers had said to him Noah was finally beginning to forgive himself for his sins, real or imagined.

As was so often the case, Noah's ability to sense her presence kicked in, and he gingerly extracted himself from her father's arms, looking to find her. Neither spoke, just moved towards the other as if drawn by some unseen force, both assessing the other. A small smile found its way to Rachel's face, which was welcomed by all who saw it. Resting her head on Noah's shoulder, Rachel turned to her parents having reached a decision, "Dad, make the call. I'm tired of waiting. I'm ready to talk."

**A.N. I'm very sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter, as I mentioned before Real Life is keeping me away from my writing. Also as the next few chapters are so important I want to take the time to write them to the best of my ability, which doesn't lead to speedy updates :(**

**Sorry also to anyone who's review I have still to reply to, I'm playing catch up at the minute but I will be in touch.**

**Pretty Pretty Please keep reading ;)**

**As always I welcome your comments/suggestions and thoughts, your reviews mean so much to me and help keep me going when the muse is misbehaving! ~Carrie**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you to my wonderful readers and reviewers for your continued support, and a special thanks to Casey6646 for being my 300th reviewer. **

**Thanks as always to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx. You Rock!**

**Warning: This chapter deals with a sensitive subject which some readers may find upsetting. It is not overly graphic but still may act as a trigger.**

"Miss Pillsbury? Thank you for getting here so quickly." Dr Smyth greeted the guidance counsellor, glad to see that Emma looked slightly more relaxed than she had the previous evening.

"How is Will?" Emma had been told little: only that Will had asked to see her.

"He seems a bit calmer, more alert and, as well as asking to see you, he has also asked for his lawyer, who has just arrived. It may well be that this has been a wasted journey for you, depending on her advice." Dr Smyth sounded guilty at having woken Emma, but Will had only requested legal counsel after the call to his former girlfriend had been made. Emma was quick to point out that she understood and agreed to wait in the reception area for the time being.

About ten minutes passed before Dr Smyth came back, joined by another woman who was introduced as Ms Scott, Will's lawyer. "Against my advice, Ms Pillsbury; my client insists on speaking with you before giving a formal statement." The cold tone of the lawyer's voice surprised Emma, who would have preferred to have no contact with Will. However, she was here to do whatever was necessary to help Rachel, whom was the real victim in all of this mess. Will, in her eyes, was the cause of his own problems and her remaining sympathy for him was fading fast.

"Due to his previous, agitated state you will not be alone with Mr Schuester, and if you feel uncomfortable at any stage you can leave," Dr Smyth reassured Emma, knowing how much strain the meeting was causing her, while also wishing she could reprove Ms Scott for her attitude.

"Naturally, Ms Pillsbury, I will be in the room to observe." The lawyer's tone was even more disapproving.

"If you are ready, Emma." At Emma's nod, Doctor Smyth led the way to where Will was being held. "Remember, you don't have to stay, okay?" she said quietly to Emma, who thanked her and made her way inside, trying to hide her surprise at the sight that greeted her.

The door was just closed behind Ms Pillsbury when Dr Smyth was summoned urgently by Detective James with the news that Rachel Berry and her fathers were on their way to the station so that Rachel could give a statement.

"Is the S.V. Room ready?" Dr Smyth asked. In cases of this nature, a special room was used; one that was more comfortable and less sterile-looking to try and put the victim at ease as much as possible.

"It's all been taken care of and the medical wing is on alert in case they are needed. We just need to go through the plan of action," Detective James replied. Following her colleague to their meeting room, she noticed that Detective Oliver was rearranging the schedule of interviews that they had planned for that morning, and Sergeant Angelo was just finishing a call.

"That was Leroy Berry," he said. "They have just arrived. Dee, I think it would be best if you begin the meeting by yourself. Oliver will stay with her parents while James and I get on with the interviews as best we can, just in regards to the allegations against Will Schuester. Is that okay with you?" In his haste to get organised, the sergeant dispensed with formal titles, knowing that none of his team minded.

"Of course; that's perfect," Dr Smyth replied and made her way to meet Rachel and her parents, who had been shown to the S.V. room. Detective Oliver and Sergeant Angelo followed her, though the younger officer stepped into the adjoining room where he could see all that was taking place and not distract Rachel, who he could see was already very uncomfortable. He noted how she had seated herself on one of the large chairs and curled her feet up under her, almost as if she was trying to hide. Her eyes were darting around the space, paying particular attention to the windows and the two doors in the room. He also noticed how her fathers never fully took their eyes off her while trying to listen to what Dr Smyth and Sergeant Angelo were saying to them. They looked unhappy when it was suggested that they leave, even though it was a routine question; some parents, fathers especially, found it next to impossible to listen impassively as the more harrowing details were discussed.

"Dad, Daddy, it's fine." Rachel spoke so quietly that Detective Oliver almost missed it. "I need to do this myself, and you won't be far, right?" Neither man looked happy but they didn't try and change their daughter's mind.

"We'll be next door, Darling, and if you need us or a break you only have to ask," Leroy said.

"If you're ready, Rachel, we should get started." Dr Smyth spoke in such a way that Rachel knew there was no wrong answer; the choice was hers. Seeing the look of determination on her face, Leroy and Hiram hugged her, left the room and prepared themselves for the worst.

"Rachel, my name is Dee Smyth. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this is - having to talk to a stranger and answer questions about such a personal and private subject that you mightn't even share with your closest friends. Just know you can take a break whenever you need and your dads can be in the room if you need them, okay?" Dr Smyth's voice was calm and soothing so Rachel knew that she was in control of this interview. She stayed quiet, just curled up tighter in to her chair, pulling the sleeves of the shirt she wore down further so that her hands were covered.

"I don't know where to start," Rachel whispered. Now that the time had come, her nerves were taking over and she was beginning to question the wisdom in leaving the safety of her home.

Sensing Rachel's mood, Dr Smyth kept her voice low, "Was Friday the first time that Finn hurt you physically?"

Haltingly, Rachel spoke of the time her former boyfriend left bruises on her wrists, after that disastrous attempt to go out as friends, when he had held her tighter than was necessary. "I was always saying the wrong thing to him; I never learnt to know my place. He was under so much pressure and I just wanted to not have to be on guard the whole time. That's why I broke things off with him."

"And what is your place, Rachel?" Dr Smyth asked.

"I know it might seem strange to you, but being with Finn… it was not the expected thing. Or maybe I wasn't the expected girlfriend for him. Quinn and he made more sense: the quarter back and the head cheerleader, the high school dream power couple. I foolishly thought that I could change the dream but the reality was a lot different than I ever thought it would be." Rachel frowned as she remembered the times when Finn had made no effort to hide his embarrassment at some of her most dramatic moments, or when she had refused to change her goals for him. "He asked me to join the Cheerios once; said it would make his life easier, that Quinn could whip me into shape."

"And would being a cheerleader not be fun?"

"Those girls for so long and even now look down on me, never tried to accept me. Well, except for the girls in Glee, and they're off the squad. It's just not something I ever wanted or aspired to be, but nothing I said made Finn understand that so eventually he let it drop." Saying Finn's name sent a chill through Rachel, and she asked if she might have a cup of tea. As Dr Smyth fixed this for her, she continued to speak. "Now that I think about it, the Cheerio issue was less important after Quinn quit the squad." She trailed off, slightly surprised by her own observation. Taking the mug she was offered Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the warmth of the drink spread through her. "I used to hate Quinn and what she represented; it was something I could never be no matter how much I tried." She paused for a second, and then said hastily, "I'm sorry; you don't need to hear all of this."

Dr Smyth was quick to reassure her, "Rachel, everything you tell me is important, even if you don't think so. You can't say anything wrong, okay?" The psychologist had been very interested by this glimpse into the dynamics of the relationship between Rachel, Finn and Quinn. "Do you mind me asking how things are with Quinn?" she asked.

"It's taken a lot of time and work, but we're in a good place at last. Like, I know we are actually friends, not just an act." Rachel looked guilty as she spoke those last words. "These past few days, she's been so supportive, like she would do anything for me. I just wish it hadn't taken..." Here Rachel trailed off not able to finish her sentence.

"Do you need a break?" Dr Smyth enquired.

"I'm just not ready to go back to the locker room, not just yet. I'm sorry."

"That's fine, Rachel; you are doing so well. Could we talk a little bit more about the summer holidays, after the breakup?" Dr Smyth wanted to keep Rachel talking as much as possible without pushing the frightened girl too far. This was such a delicate interview; the smallest mistake could set Rachel back days, if not weeks in her recovery and that was something that Dr Smyth had to prevent.

"One of the reasons I ended things was because I hadn't really missed him when he was away at camp. I thought it was because I was so busy myself, but it was more than that. It was like we'd grown apart. I told him that this summer had been so different and I wanted Senior Year to be special for me, my friends and the club, so I guess I took some time to regroup and refocus. It was like Finn didn't understand. He kept saying all these things that weren't true. He was mean for no reason until I realised the problem was me."

"I'm not sure I fully understand, Rachel. What was he saying?"

"He accused Noah of being more than just my friend, told me that Santana was using me, that sort of thing. The common factor was me. I thought if I stepped away then their friendships would be saved; they've known each other for years, it's only since I've come along that there were any problems. I thought I was helping, but I'd caused so much harm because I'm selfish and so focused on me and my dreams. I never give anyone a chance. I decided to fix that. It took me a few days but I did and everyone seemed so happy that day."

"Rachel," Dr Smyth cut in, as the girl in front of her rambled and seemed to becoming agitated, "I think you should take a break, just for a few minutes."

"No, you have to know this. It's important that you know that I tried to fix things. I knew then that something was wrong with Finn but I didn't tell anyone, didn't get him the help he needed. This is my fault, all of this."

This time, Dr Smyth was more firm with Rachel. "I need you to take some deep breaths for me, please. You are doing great but I need you to focus on your breathing, just for a few minutes, please." Under Dr Smyth's watchful eye, Rachel gradually caught her breath and relaxed the death-grip she had taken on the now cold mug of tea. Placing it on a nearby table, Rachel curled back once more in the chair, worried at how easily she still got lost in her memories. She couldn't take a break now; if she did she didn't think she would ever be able to finish the task ahead of her.

"Will this ever get easier? Talking about everything? Remembering it, even? I'm trying to be brave, to be strong, but it never lasts long enough. Does that even make sense?" Rachel wanted the psychologist to know that she wasn't stalling and, to her relief, it seemed as if Dr Smyth did understand.

"No two people cope the same way; you need to find what works for you. My job is to get as much information and as many details as possible while trying not to cause any further stress or upset."

"I'd been avoiding Finn for days. I think maybe that's why he was so angry on Friday. I just couldn't take his ranting any more. It was one thing I always disliked about him: how he could say horrible things and think that he'd done nothing wrong, and not just things about me. When he found me in the library it was like this alarm went off in my head, like you hear about. Intuition or whatever you want to call it. But it was too late. He's so strong and the school was quiet so he had no trouble dragging me where he wanted to, and nobody was around to stop him."

"Is that how you got the bruises on your wrists?" Dr Smyth asked. She had not expected Rachel to broach the subject of the attack without being prompted.

"It's one of the things I remember the most: the feel of his grip, thinking how tiny my wrists were and that Finn could hold both of mine so tightly in one of his hands. It also left one free to do other things." A shudder ran through Rachel and she flinched at the memory of what Finn's free hand had done to her. "I remember wishing he'd just get on with it at one stage, instead of telling me his sick fantasies. At least when he was hitting me, I could concentrate on that, you know?"

"Do you know how long you were in the locker room for?"

"No; it felt like forever and yet at the same time it was as if I was watching it happen at full speed, could see myself being thrown and not just feel it happen. I know Mike blames himself for not getting help to me quick enough, but Finn's mailman issue may have helped save me."

"I'm not quite sure I understand." Dr Smyth had an idea but needed confirmation from Rachel.

"Finn has an early arrival problem, as Kurt would say. It made him so mad that day, but it was the only thing that stopped me from raping me."

"How did he react, or was this when he was caught?"

"It's all so confusing. The timing, I mean. But his problem caused him to lash out more." She pointed to the bruises on her face and neck. "These ones were some of the last." Rachel unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing to show the top of her breasts which had bite marks on them. "I think he enjoyed giving these to me; it seemed to excite him. His words became vile again, but just when I lost hope the boys showed up."

By this stage of Rachel's story she was once more struggling to catch her breath. Tears streamed down her face and she fumbled for a tissue. Dr Smyth handed her a box, thinking about how they had seen Finn's growing rage on the video footage and now had a better understanding of why his behaviour had escalated. Looking at her watch, she decided it was time for Rachel to have a rest, but when she told the girl of her plan, Rachel shook her head. "I need to finish. Please, ask me your questions." Her words were laced with panic.

Not wanting to dictate to Rachel, Dr Smyth agreed to continue but asked that Rachel at least have a drink. With a fresh mug of tea in her hands, Rachel looked expectantly at her interviewer, unsure of how she should proceed.

"I kept saying no, trying to fight back, but he never stopped, never listened. I couldn't even leave a mark on him. I gave up trying to reason with him quickly. When he wasn't telling me how this was going to be our first time, he told me that no one else had ever wanted me, or would ever want me, so I should stop fighting my destiny. I think maybe at some stage I stopped hitting back, but I can't be sure. Some of my memories are very blurry, especially after I hit my head off the bench."

"How did that happen?" Dr Smyth asked softly. The interview was tiring Rachel out and she really wanted the girl to rest.

"He tried to kiss me, but I kept moving and twisting out of his reach and he got frustrated and slapped me so hard. You know how in old cartoons they see stars or birds? It was like that, only he let go of me and I fell backward, catching my head off the corner of the bench. He must have liked the result because he repeated it twice. The slaps, I mean. I managed to protect my head but it left me unprotected elsewhere."

"Where did Finn hurt you next Rachel?"

"He had ripped my blouse earlier, pushed my skirt up, now he was trying to shred my bra and underwear. I didn't know what to do so my hands kind of fluttered uselessly until I felt him between my legs. He said he could tell how much I was enjoying myself, so I told him I had my period. He snatched his hand away long enough for me to clamp my legs closed. That's when he started at my breasts and stomach. I was so dizzy by then, but I knew I had to keep fighting, keep him away from there."

Dr Smyth was amazed at Rachel's quick thinking given the brutal assault and how in spite of her injuries she never gave in.

"It gets foggy after that; my last clear memory was thinking of an old dance exercise I could use to try and keep my legs closed. Then it's just a haze of Finn's words and blows until suddenly he was gone and Noah was there with Mike and Sam." By the time that Rachel had finished she was shaking so much she had dropped her mug of tea, the liquid spilling on to the floor in front of her. "I'm so sorry," she began, but Dr Smyth told her that accidents happen and it was time for Rachel to take a break. There was still a lot ahead that was going to push Rachel to her limits.

A short knock on the door signalled the arrival of Leroy and Hiram. Both men had evidence on their faces of having shed tears. They made their way carefully towards their daughter, wanting to comfort her in any way possible. Rachel stood up abruptly, rushed over to where her fathers stood and threw herself into Leroy's arms while also reaching for Hiram's hand, trying to draw some strength from them.

"Star, I think you should sit down; you are shaking and I want to check your blood pressure." Hiram spoke softly, hoping his voice wasn't too detached, but it was the only way he could maintain control on his emotions.

"Always a doctor, Daddy," Rachel teased lightly; having her fathers in the room with her banished the horror of the memories she'd had to share with Dr Smyth, who was speaking with Detective Oliver about what their next step should be. Sergeant Angelo had been called into the interview room with Mr Schuester and his lawyer and had left the decision making to Dr Smyth. After her brief consultation with her colleague, she approached the Berry family. Hiram seemed happy enough with Rachel's vitals; at least enough to agree with letting the interview continue (with Rachel's permission, of course).

"What we need to do next, Rachel, is take some photographs of your injuries. There will be a female nurse and officer present."

"Will we have to leave the station?" Rachel didn't know if she could face another change of location; more people, more noise, just more. Again, her brain failed to give words to her thoughts. As if sensing her fear, Dr Smyth told her that they would be taken in the medical wing of the station and that one of her parents could be with her if she wanted.

"Dad, would you mind if Daddy came with me?" Rachel was whispering again, not able to look Leroy in his eyes for fear of seeing any hurt or judgement in them.

"Darling, it's fine, I promise; whatever you need to get through this." Leroy looked directly at Rachel, hoping that she would believe him, and the way she rested her head on his shoulder seemed like a positive response to him.

"It will take a few minutes to set up but, if you are ready, we can go and get you changed."

After making sure her parents were close by, Rachel left the room and followed Dr Smyth to the sterile environment of a medical assessment room. She was introduced to two women but was unable to recognise them. The nurse brought her to a screened area where Rachel was helped out of her clothes and into a medical gown before being led to an examination table.

For the first few minutes all that could be heard was the sound of a camera recording Rachel's injuries and Hiram's gentle words reminding his daughter to keep breathing. As the nurse lifted up her gown, Rachel caught her lower lip with her teeth trying to hold back a sob that had surprised her.

"Daddy, don't look, please," she begged. It had been a mistake having him in the room, but if she couldn't have Noah with her she wanted one if not both of her parents by her side.

"Star, I won't do anything you don't want me to. I've turned around but I'm still right here for you." Hiram tried his best to let her know she had not offended him with her request.

"Rachel, we need to take pictures of your stomach and chest, do you need help sitting up?" Dr Smyth asked softly.

"Yes, please," Rachel replied and she tried not to wince at the movement. Again, the nurse helped with her gown and her bra so that the female officer could take more photographs of the newly exposed areas of her body. Some of the bite marks were still very angry-looking, though the bruises were beginning to heal. As the nurse helped to fix Rachel's gown once more, she also lifted her hair so that pictures could be taken of the marks on her neck and on her back. The criss-cross pattern of the locker room bench could still be made out on her shoulders and lower back.

"I think that we have everything we need, Rachel; you can get dressed again and we can return to more comfortable surroundings, okay?" Both Dr Smyth and Hiram watched as Rachel made her way to the screen once more, noting how slowly she moved.

"Forgive me if you think that I am speaking out of turn, Mr Berry, but some of Rachel's injuries look as if they need further medical attention." Dr Smyth was aware of Rachel's reluctance to involve outsiders; in fact, that was the next topic she wanted to discuss with the girl.

"We've asked Dr Lopez to call to the house once Rachel is finished, since she has already treated her," Hiram answered. Rachel emerged from behind the screen, dressed again, looking nervous and ill at ease. "Star, what's wrong?"

Rachel remained silent for a moment, moving closer to her father before she spoke. "I want to go home, Daddy. I'm so tired and I can feel him on me again." There was a noticeable tremor in Rachel's voice. "But if I do go I'll never be finished. I'm so confused, Daddy."

Dr Smyth and the other women left the room giving Rachel and her father some privacy.

"Say the word Star, and you dad and I will have you home. No questions asked. Fifteen minutes is all it will take."

"I sense a 'but', Daddy. They would want to continue this at home, right?" Rachel asked. "I'll stay. I don't want our house to be invaded by the police. That's not the right word, I know, but it's like having them there would taint our home and I can't have that." Rachel sounded so determined, so Hiram just hugged her tenderly and then escorted her back to the interview room where Dr Smyth and her dad were waiting, both anxious for her arrival. Leroy jumped to his feet, noting the paleness of his daughter's face which only highlighted the bruises on her skin.

"Darling, how are you doing?"

"I'm going to stay, Dad, to get this over with but I'd like you both with me." She looked at Dr Smyth in case there was a problem with this, but the woman just smiled encouragingly at her.

"I'll try to make this as painless as possible, so please try and make yourselves comfortable and we can begin again." Rachel just nodded her head, not trusting herself to try and speak. Once she had curled up on the sofa with her fathers either side of her, she took a few deep breaths and told Dr Smyth she was ready. "I need to know about what happened afterwards, Rachel: who you spoke to, who may have seen you."

"Why no one said anything, you mean," Rachel replied.

"I'm just trying to find out as much as I can. Remember, Rachel, the more information I have, the better it will be for me and my colleagues. You did what you thought was right. I'd just like to know more about it."

"You make it sound so simple, but honestly I wasn't really thinking. Not immediately afterwards, at least. All I knew was that Noah was there and Finn wasn't. I know that Quinn arrived with Ms P and I think we talked but I can't be sure. I know I panicked when they mentioned Finn or going to the police. I just wanted to go home and wash myself to get him off me. I even wanted to cut my hair but there was so much going on in my head that I forgot which I'm glad about because Britt would be mad. She loves my Princess hair." Rachel cut herself off, before continuing with, "Do you know what I really hate? Not only has he made me afraid of almost everyone I care about, but I'm constantly questioning myself, constantly rambling. Every time I think I've made progress I turn into this crazy person. I can tell that it's happening because people like to check my pulse or ask me to take deep breaths, even my own subconscious and I'm just so tired of feeling like this - of knowing that I'm helping Finn get away with what he's done, not just to me but to his family and friends, even Mr Schue." Rachel had begun to rock on the sofa as the words spilled out from her, all that she had been trying to hold back finally becoming too much. "I'm not one hundred percent sure who I saw that night, Dr Smyth. I know I must have been sedated - that happened at home - but I don't remember how I got there. My first real memory is waking up from a nightmare and practically clawing at Noah and Brittany to get away when all they were doing was being there for me. Noah sang me back to sleep while Britt brushed my hair and told me how beautiful I was. It was the only reason I wasn't sedated again."

As Rachel paused to take a few gulps of air the three adults in the room stayed quiet; none of them wanted to disturb her, each knowing how crucial it was for Rachel to tell her story, to say the words out loud for the sake of truly beginning the healing process. "I always thought I was so strong, that I'd dealt with bullies and rejection and I embraced it knowing it was good practice for New York. I'm not clueless enough to believe I'd make it straight away, that I'll have to pay my dues. But thinking of Finn, I can see things a bit clearer now. He's been so sneaky with his back handed compliments, using all of us. I hate that I let him use me like that. I hate that I cared more about protecting his family than he ever did. I should have realised that he just wanted to have Carole back, all to himself. I played into his hands; more fool me, but not anymore. I really wish I could tell you more but the memories either aren't there or I'm still blocking them. There must be enough people who can fill in those missing hours." This last part was a plea that she had said enough to answer the questions and Dr Smyth could see how much the time at the police station had taken out of her.

"You're almost finished, Rachel, I promise. I need to get some paperwork that you'll need to sign and then you can go home. We may need to ask you some other questions at a later stage."

"I understand, Dr Smyth. I wish I wasn't so sleepy or I'd try and remember more." Rachel's voice sounded raw, as if her earlier conversations had been shouted and yet, no matter how upset she'd been her voice had never risen above normal speaking levels. Her next words were so quiet that Dr Smyth almost missed them and as it was she had to ask Rachel to repeat them. "Do you believe me? That I didn't do anything to encourage or deserve what happened to me?"

Dr Smyth knelt in front of her and she hated the look in the girl's eyes. Despite her attempts at bravery, this was a very broken girl who may have been robbed of more than one thing as a result of Finn Hudson's thoughtless actions. "Rachel, I believe you. I need you to believe in yourself. Believe that my colleagues and I will work tirelessly to get justice for you. Let me get the paperwork so you can go home."

"Wait, what about my friends? I don't want to leave without them."

"I'll have to check on that." With a reassuring smile, Dr Smyth stood up and exited the room. She found Sergeant Angelo waiting for her; he could see that Rachel wasn't the only one drained by the interview.

"Here is the paperwork for Ms Berry and her fathers. I don't want to startle the girl but I need to speak with Leroy. Can you get him for me?" Seeing her concern, the sergeant continued, "Our interviews with the other students are nearly over; I just need to get permission for Detective James to check the security at their home. Some of Ms Berry's friends had some concerns but didn't want to frighten her when it is the only place she seems to feel safe." Dr Smyth was, again, curious as to what the other teens had said but knew she would be watching the footage soon enough. For now she went back to where the Berry family was waiting on her and delivered the message to Leroy.

"It's just lawyer stuff, Darling; nothing for you to worry about." Hearing what the sergeant had to say, Leroy replied that he had had similar concerns and that he and his husband were glad to see that the investigation team where so dedicated to keeping their daughter safe.

At the same time, Rachel was trying to concentrate on all the words in front of her, but they just became so jumbled up and she felt a new sense of pity for Sam who dealt with this every day. Perhaps she could help him with his school work; it would be something else for her to do, to keep her mind busy which was something she needed right now.

"Sorry Daddy, I didn't hear what you said." Rachel tried to focus her attention on the present. Hiram had offered to read the documents to her and she was happy the girls had gotten him home for her. At last, Rachel though to herself as the final page was read, and she signed where her daddy pointed to as her dad walked back into the room. Rachel felt as if he had been gone forever when, in reality, it was only around fifteen minutes.

"Is Noah ready to leave? And Britt?" And the others?" she asked hopefully.

"Almost, Darling; do you want to wait here or go home?" Leroy replied, knowing that it would be a difficult choice for her.

"I'd like to stay, please, if we can."

Dr Smyth said that this was no problem and offered them refreshments, which they declined. "Dr Smyth, do you think you could find someone who could help my friends? They have all been through so much and, don't get me wrong, Sue and Ms P have been wonderful but I think we need someone who isn't so personally involved."

Dr Smyth thought for a few minutes before she responded, "There are a number of people that I can recommend, though some of your friends may not wish to talk with a stranger, but they will all be given the opportunity. Is that something you would like to try yourself?" She had noticed how Rachel had started by talking about her friends but ended using the word 'we' as if to include herself.

"I'd like to try. Like I said earlier, I hate feeling like this - so out of control – or maybe that's all in my head. Do you see what I mean?" Rachel gave a half-smile to the adults in the room. "I want to be more like myself, like I used to be, not like I'm made from glass. It's not just the people around me who think I'll break; I'm worried myself and I need… no, I want to get better."

Dr Smyth lay a hand on top of Rachel's, which were clasped together tightly. "This is an important step that you've just taken, Rachel. I'll certainly give you the names of people who can help but I would also caution you not to rush yourself either. You are allowed to feel sad, to grieve for the dreams that you've lost, the pain you've had to suffer, and not just last Friday." Rachel listened to what the psychologist was saying. "From what I've heard and seen you are surrounded by people who love you, and who you love. Let that be the starting place as you rebuild your future, all of you together. There is no reason why you can't not only reclaim what has been lost but strive for something even more amazing.

"Wow." Rachel was awestruck and inspired. "You really get it, don't you?"

Not really wanting to take more credit than she deserved, Dr Smyth replied, "I listened, Rachel, to what you said and to some of what your friends and family told the other members of my team. The fact that you are here at all is testament to your strength. And I need you to know, to accept, that it is okay to break, to cry or scream or do whatever it is that you need at that moment to make it through this. Don't bottle up your emotions, but don't force your missing memories either; in time you will get it all back."

Rachel looked at her parents, who had remained silent during this exchange, soaking up all that was said. They, too, were drawing comfort from the words. They were so proud of Rachel for surviving this ordeal, for being able to speak about it with a stranger and for allowing her injuries to be photographed, putting her heartbreak on display for others to see, alongside the physical scars she would be left with long after the last of the bruises had faded. They watched as Rachel hugged Dr Smyth, all the time nervous that she had overstepped a boundary, and relaxed as the woman returned her hug, ever mindful of Rachel's fragile condition.

A quiet knock broke the silence, but Dr Smyth held the hug until Rachel went to move away. She excused herself only to return quickly with Brittany and Noah in her wake, though both teens hovered uncertainly just inside the door.

"I'm okay," Rachel and Noah said simultaneously while Britt muttered "Puckleberry lives" to herself and to the amusement of Rachel's parents and Dr Smyth. They appreciated the blonde's obsession with the couple; even the doctor was aware of her dedication to that particular cause.

"Can we go home now, please?" Rachel asked. She longed to be in Noah's arms, to hear the strong beat of his heart, that she felt had its own unique melody. She wanted to talk to her friends, to see for herself that they were unscathed following their interviews.

"Yes, Rachel, you can go home. I'm going to give you my card so that if you need to talk to me at any time, you can call me."

Thanking Dr Smyth for her patience and kind words, Rachel gave her another brief hug before moving towards Noah, grabbing his waiting hand and accepting the hug that Brittany gave her, assuring the girl that she wasn't as sad as she looked and that maybe she could help Quinn tidy her up when they got home. This request seemed to appease Britt, who told Rachel that some of the gleeks were already waiting for them at home, but that she was the designated Puckleberry chaperone - the perfect person to cheer them up if they felt sad.

Dr Smyth walked the group to their car and watched as they drove out of the car park, able to see the way Rachel had placed herself against Noah's shoulder. She smiled at the memory of Brittany tucking them both up in a very soft but very pink blanket. Her good humour didn't last too long, though, when Sergeant Angelo came to update her on the rest of the day's developments. She was given a choice: she could begin to watch the footage from the interviews with the Glee club members, who were very helpful, or join him in the interview room with Will Schuester, which had reached stalemate. He was about to receive some hard truths and be presented with evidence that would hopefully change both his attitude and his opinions which had been frustrating the investigation team. Dr Smyth was sad to hear that Emma Pillsbury had been subjected to the rants of her former flame, who had only wanted her there to speak on both his and Finn's behalf. Knowing the tapes weren't going anywhere Dr Smyth chose to see Will, her intuition telling her that this interview would be vital in defeating Finn, even at the expense of the man who still couldn't see beyond his student's lies.

**A.N. Again I would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I still light up like a kid on Christmas Day every time I get an email about a new alert or review.**

**I am also hoping some of you can help me locate a favourite story of mine that I thought I had on my favourites list, but can't seem to find. It is obviously a Puckleberry fic, where the club are on their way to New York only to get stuck in a snow storm for several hours. Over the course of that time sparks fly! I would really love to read it again so if any of you can help I would be very grateful :)**

**As always I welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions after reading this latest chapter and hope the fact that it is the longest one yet is enough to distract from the delay in updating?;) ~Carrie**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you so much to all who read,reviewed and alerted this story. The response to the last chapter was amazing, and I would just like you all to know how much your comments mean to me. (There were some reviews I could not reply to due to PM restrictions but I am truly grateful to all who leave comments.)**

**As always my thanks to my beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx :)**

"How much longer are you going to keep me here?" Will Schuester asked angrily. His knee was twitching so much that it kept hitting against the table in front of him and nothing his lawyer said seemed to calm him. Yesterday had been such a strange day; first that unmitigated disaster in the choir room, then having to watch as Finn was led away by the police like some common criminal and then, to really highlight the fact that he had wandered into some alternative universe, he had been accused of mistreating Finn.

It was ridiculous. Everyone knew how much he thought of Finn - how the boy was more than just a student; he was someone that Will looked out for, not like a father-son relationship but more like that of brothers. Now these strangers were interfering and were listening to the lies of those whose sole intentions were to ruin Finn's life. To add insult to injury, he had been medicated by some quack calling herself a doctor, who had treated him like Terri on one of her bad days - as if he were insane. It was no wonder that his head still felt fuzzy and that people's voices were so loud, like he was being shouted at anytime anyone spoke to him.

Will had hoped that Emma might have been acting more like herself, but again he was proven wrong in that regard. Maybe it was the presence of Ms Scott, his legal counsel, that made her nervous, but Emma either couldn't or wouldn't look in him in the eye and had hardly said more than a few words to him. Was this a sign of her guilty conscience, her regret at allowing herself to be manipulated by Sue and Puckerman, or for falling for Rachel's Berry's damsel in distress act? He could vaguely recall some harsh words they had exchanged the day before, but for the life of him he didn't know why today Emma wasn't more concerned that he was still at the police station, while Puckerman and Berry were free and laughing at how easy it had been to get him and Finn out of the way.

The pompous sergeant – Angel, he though his name was - had disappeared a few minutes ago, claiming that it was so that Will could have a few minutes to himself and have a bathroom break if he needed to, but he knew when he was being lied to. When the officer returned, he had a woman with him whom he was introduced to and he was told that they had spoken the day before. Will had no recollection of any conversation they may have had. Now this woman had the nerve to ask him how he was feeling. Well, he would not be holding back any of his anger.

"How do you think I'm feeling? No one will give me any information; they just ask the most idiotic questions and then don't listen to what I have to say. Why can none of you see the bigger picture? See what's really happening here? How you are all pawns?" Will spat out.

"First off, Mr Schuester, I would like for you to lower your voice," Dr Smyth said. Will had the grace to look somewhat sorry for the harsh tone he had used. "Second, why don't you ask me some questions to help me to ease your concerns so that then we can all have a more meaningful and informed conversation?" Dr Smyth's voice was low and soothing as if Will was a skittish animal.

"Okay, how's Finn?" Will noticed the woman write something into a notebook and was immediately suspicious, which he voiced very rudely, but Dr Smyth just gave him the information he had asked for.

"Mr Hudson is currently at home with his family where, to the best of our knowledge, he is in good spirits." She didn't add that the boy was under constant surveillance and the subject of a restraining order.

"How much longer will I be kept here for?" was Will's next question; he wanted to see Finn for himself, not trusting a word that these people were telling him They didn't know Finn, so who were they to judge how he was doing? Clearly the poor boy was suffering; why else would he have made those horrible allegations? It was an obvious cry for help.

"I'm afraid I don't have a definite answer for you; we need more information from you and also to make sure you are not at any risk. I would advise you to cooperate with us to help speed up the process."

Will didn't like this answer, "What risk and who will decide on it?"

"Mr Schuester, you had to be medicated yesterday as we feared for your health. Indeed, that concern remains today. You are going to hear some news that is bound to distress you and it would be negligent of us here at the station if we did not see to your medical needs while you are with us." Will was momentarily appeased; it seemed like a logical arrangement and so he decided to see what questions the police had for him now. His lawyer would act on his behalf when necessary.

"What do you want to know? I have never hurt or been inappropriate with any of my students." It was the first time that Will had directly addressed the allegations made against him by Finn or asserted his innocence, but it was too early for Dr Smyth to tell if this was finally a turning point in Mr Schuester's behaviour or his acceptance of the events of the past few days.

"You have spoken to some of my colleagues about your involvement in the glee club - how you get on with the students, practice schedules and so on. I would like to know more about your relationship with Finn." At Will's exclamation, Dr Smyth continued, "Other people whom I have spoken to describe it as that of a mentor or role model. Would you agree?"

Not sensing any accusation in her tone, Will thought for a moment before replying. "Yes, that's a fair assessment. When I met Finn I thought he needed a bit of guidance; he has a lot of expectations placed upon him and had no real male figure in his life at that time, so I wanted to help out. Since Burt married his mother, I stepped back from that role to more of a brother or sibling dynamic I think would describe it best."

Dr Smyth was pleased that Will seemed able to articulate his responses so well, knowing that her next question would test him. "And what of the other glee club members; are there others who you have embraced in such a manner, no one else in need of guidance or having an older brother or mentor?"

Again, Will considered his answer before replying to this query. "In her sophomore year I tried to help Quinn Fabray cope with losing her place in the Cheerios, with her pregnancy. It can't have been easy that Puckerman was the father of her child. At least Finn tried to do the right thing, tried to find work to support them. The rest of the kids seem to be in a good place; we're a family and look out for each other."

"Did you ever ask Quinn why she had cheated on Finn? How she was coping living outside of her family home, away from her mother? In a house where there were different cultural and religious traditions to observe? Where her faith may have made things more difficult?" At Will's blank look, Dr Smyth continued, "You never thought that you could perhaps offer Sam Evans help with his studies?" As another puzzled look from Will greeted this question Dr Smyth was forced to explain and she added, "Because of his dyslexia?" This, however, seemed to be new information to the teacher. "Have you ever discussed Tina's fake stutter with her or tried to reach out to Santana or Lauren, who joined the club solely so you could compete?" These comments just received another blank look from Will, who didn't understand how the psychologist knew so much about his club and his kids.

"I'm not trying to be rude but all those students you have just named can all look after themselves and have a wide circle of friends and stable homes." Will struggled to keep a hold on his temper; how dare this outsider think that, by listening to the kids' complaints for a few minutes, she was now an expert? He could, and should, tell her how things really were but, out of respect to his kids' privacy, he would hold his tongue. He knew how to keep a secret.

"Mr Schuester," Dr Smyth continued, "there is someone else in your club who, by your own definition, needed or would have at least appreciated your help and a little bit of your time - someone with a troubled background, who had no father figure and who was also dealing with a lot of pressure and expectations." For the life of him, Will couldn't match any of his club to the description the psychologist had drawn for him. "You really can't see it can you?"

At Dr Smyth's incredulous tone, Ms Scott spoke up, "I don't like your attitude, in the spirit of cooperation and all."

Will, however, was somewhat intrigued, enough to override his lawyer's concern and to ask for the mystery student's name.

"Why, Noah Puckerman, of course," Dr Smyth answered as if it should have been obvious to Will, who didn't try and hide his disdain at the mention of the teen.

"That boy is the cause of his own troubles. He answers back, never listens and has no morals. He's been to Juvie; that should tell you all you need to know about Puck."

"I'm afraid I have only met Noah, so I couldn't possibly comment on your last remarks," Dr Smyth said. She had been expecting this reaction but was trying to decide if the teacher's attitude was his own or the work of someone else. "Am I wrong in thinking that Noah recruited Lauren so you could compete at a competition, in spite of being locked in an outdoor toilet overnight? That he convinced half of the football team to play in the second half of the Championship game? That he knowingly let another student take credit for a song he had written at another competition? And, despite all this, you have nothing good to say about him. Do you not think he has come a long way from the young boy who was abandoned by his father and forced to earn money any way he could to help support his mother and younger sister? A boy who has worked hard to bring up his grades since a stint in Juvie that was a direct result of his grief at having to give up his daughter and who has now got a chance to go to some of the best schools in the country, even without the support of some of his teachers?" Will remained silent, his glazed over eyes showing how he just didn't care - no matter what he did, in Will's opinion Noah Puckerman would never be able to do anything right.

It had been a long day and Dr Smyth wanted to finish this interview, so she changed the subject. "You had dinner with Finn Hudson two days ago; is that correct?"

"Yes; he was upset and needed to talk to someone so I brought him to Breadstix," Will replied.

"He told you he was being bullied." Dr Smyth pushed Will as much as she dared to, wondering if the teacher would lie to protect his favourite student.

Will hesitated; it was true that Finn had admitted to being bullied, but now that he was so directly asked he had to acknowledge that Finn hadn't actually said it out loud. "Not in such a straightforward way but it was obvious what was going on. With Finn you have to find a way past his nerves."

"And is alcohol the way in which you normally put him at ease?" Dr Smyth questioned, not bothering this time to censure her tone of speech.

"What are you talking about? Neither of us was drinking; I was driving and as you are obviously aware Finn is underage." Will was angry at the insinuations Dr Smyth was making.

"Who paid for the meal?" she asked, as if Will had not spoken

"I did; Finn is saving for college so I put it on my card." Will answered defensively

"Yes, we have your receipt here, Mr Schuester; did you not think the final total was a bit high?" Dr Smyth inquired.

"To be honest, I left the card with Finn as I had some calls to make; he knows my pin number as he has used my card before," Will replied albeit slightly sheepishly.

"You trust him that much?" Dr Smyth asked him bluntly.

"Of course I do; how often do I have to tell you people that he is a good kid? I really wish you would believe me." Will was having a difficult time trying to stay in his seat; he didn't know which was more frustrating - the idea that these people thought he was a fool or the way that Dr Smyth and the silent Sergeant Angelo were not trying to hide their feelings from him. It was like they were enjoying themselves at Finn and his expense.

"It would seem to me as if your belief, your trust has been taken advantage of. If you look here you can see for yourself the items which you were charged for, including three shots of whiskey and two double vodkas, all served with mixers." The questions seemed to be never-ending at this stage, with no chance for Will to think before answering.

"There has to be some mistake? Finn would never do this." He was genuinely puzzled by this turn of events; there had to be some logical explanation for Finn's actions.

"The evidence is there before you and we also have a statement from the server that night, and video footage of her preparing the drinks and bringing them to your table, which we can show you if you would like?" Dr Smyth offered.

Will read the statement and looked repeatedly at the receipt. He had no idea what was going on. The girl had said that Finn had been charming, told her no one would ever find out and that he would make it worth her while to overlook his lack of I.D. Card and say nothing to his dinner partner. "It has to be all the pressure from the bullying; from seeing his girlfriend cheat on him again. High School, senior year in particular, has put so many expectations on him and so he's acting out. He knew he would be safe with me. I really wish he would have talked to me and that he hadn't felt the need to resort to alcohol. You didn't see how he had been treated by the club that afternoon; Tina hit him."

Dr Smyth could tell that Will was fighting against the new images of Finn they had shown him - someone who didn't fit into the star quarterback mould of the innocent lost boy, but instead a teenage boy who had lied and used the teacher, who was misguided in his attempts to help his student. "What of these accusations that Finn has made - that you got him drunk so you could take advantage of him? That he is always been wary around you but too afraid to say anything for fear of what you would do to him?"

"It's not true; I don't know or understand why he's saying all these things but it's just not true." Will struggled to speak; nothing was making sense and the influx of information he had just received was not making it any easier for him.

Sergeant Angelo chose that moment to talk; he had remained silent, watching as Dr Smyth got the teacher to open up, to admit things even if the man hadn't realised what he had done. "Mr Schuester, I want to believe you, I really do, but you have to help yourself now. I have to be honest; the case against you is strong and based on Finn's statement, that of the server at Breadstix and what others have said, even your own attitude is not helping. Mr Hudson's mother is looking after her son; I would advise you to focus on yourself for the time being. At the very least you are looking at a charge of supply alcohol to a minor."

"What had you in mind?" Ms Scott asked, hoping her client would listen and be smart enough to take the chance he was been given to clear his name.

"We need to know about the drive home from the restaurant to Finn's home - any stops you might have made, your conversation and if anybody saw you," Sergeant Angelo addressed Will, hoping his words had gotten through to the dumbstruck man in front of him.

Will looked helplessly at his lawyer for guidance and she whispered to him to think about himself, his career and just answer the questions truthfully. "The drive to Finn's house from Breadstix takes about seven minutes normally; there was a faulty light at the intersection on Main so it took a few minutes longer because of the traffic. I spoke briefly to a colleague, Ms Pillsbury, and when we arrived at the Hummel house we were met by Finn's mother, Carole. We were not alone again until yesterday when I collected him for school. He seemed nervous because we were due to confront his bullies. We spent about five minutes together during a break and then we had lunch with Ms Pillsbury, and when everything happened in the choir room I followed Finn here, in case he or his mother needed any help."

"Can you tell us what Finn was wearing yesterday and the day before?" The question surprised Will, who couldn't remember, and he also couldn't recall whether or not Finn had any birthmarks when asked.

"He did seem to have scratches on his hands and on his face but they were faint and didn't seem important at the time," Will announced, his memory sparked by the last question. "Also, his nails seemed a bit messed up; not that it's not unusual, I'm sure, given that he's a footballer, but they did look painful."

"Thank you for that information; it is very helpful to our investigation." Sergeant Angelo said, it would seem as if Rachel's brave attempts to fight back had not been completely in vain but had left their mark on Finn.

Will couldn't see why that would be but was just glad to see a friendlier look on the police officer's face.

"Again, I know you spoke to another of my colleagues but I would just like to ask again if you ever saw any incident between Finn and Rachel Berry, or indeed Finn and Quinn Fabray or Santana Lopez, that made you feel uncomfortable, that made you want to question Finn's actions?" Dr Smyth had taken back control of the interview, hoping not to agitate Will again, but he seemed to be actually thinking before answering.

"There is nothing I can think of outside, of course, of the normal teen relationship dramas, or I would have spoken to Finn and explained to him how temperamental girls can be at that age, not knowing when to put others first. I thought he was making progress when he rekindled his relationship with Quinn and resisted Rachel's attempts to make him cheat again. I still don't understand what he sees in Rachel or why he let her destroy the club's chances at Nationals like that. Hormones, I guess. Honestly, I was glad to hear that Finn had broken things off during the summer; he even asked if I thought he should take Quinn back."

"And how did you respond?" Dr Smyth asked, once more amazed at the way Will's mind worked. She guessed that his failed marriage had had a very negative impact on how the man viewed the female population.

Will seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. "I told him to play the field a bit, that he was too young to settle down, to enjoy his summer and senior year, that maybe by the time Prom came round he'd know if either girl was the right one for him. I think he listened because I know he was single in spite of Rachel's attempts to win him back. Ask him, he'll tell you himself."

"That's okay, Mr Schuester, we'll take your word for it." Sergeant Angelo's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Are we almost done here?" Ms Scott's voice was clipped, not holding back her wish to be finished. "Are you charging my client or not?"

"At this time, we won't be pressing charges against Mr Schuester, however this is still an open investigation and so you are not allowed to speak to or be alone with Finn Hudson or his immediate family. If you do not obey these restrictions, Mrs Hummel is well within her rights to file a restraining order and you may be held on remand. Are you clear about what I have just said?" Sergeant spoke slowly and hoped that the man before him was taking the words in, realising the seriousness of what was going on, and the potentially devastating consequences if he failed to abide by these conditions.

"Yes," Will replied, hating that he couldn't speak to Finn; all he wanted to do was know what was going on in the poor boy's head. Still, he was happy to be able to leave and go to his home, change his clothes and sleep in his own bed.

"It might be an idea to take some leave from school, just until the investigations are complete," Dr Smyth advised. This was normal practice when there were so many students involved.

"I believe that there is a message from Principal Figgins to that affect waiting for me," Will said like a petulant child. Emma was the one who had brought that particular titbit to his attention. He didn't appreciate Dr Smyth repeating the suggestion which, in the case of Figgins, was an order but Will was wise enough not to voice his opinion, knowing that any outburst would not help his cause.

"Once you have signed some forms you can go. Dr Smyth has recommended that you seek outside medical advice after you have left us, but that, of course, is entirely up to you." With that, Sergeant Angelo handed the forms to Will, who let Ms Scott read them before he signed them.

"We will be in touch, as we may have more questions for you. And please don't do anything that might hinder the investigation," urged the sergeant. He had a certain amount of sympathy for the teacher who had been so easily used by his student and who was even now refusing to see the truth.

Will left the station with his lawyer and, having arranged to meet her the next day, he sat in a daze in his car. He was finally on his way home, but some of the things he'd heard that afternoon were starting to sink in. Maybe someone else could give him the answers he needed and, if he couldn't contact Finn, then why not go to the source of the current problem? No one had said he couldn't see any of his other students - except for Kurt as he was Finn's step brother - and it really was the obvious solution to his problems. A nice conversation, maybe the right words to her parents, and the whole matter could be resolved.

His decision made, Will turned his car on and once settled made his way to the home of Rachel Berry - the bane of his life, the source of all this trouble and the one person who needed to accept that she was at fault. The dark and threatening look on Leroy Berry's face as he answered and identified the visitor at his doorstep told Will that perhaps he had miscalculated his welcome at the Berry house. Being arrested shortly afterwards in full view of the majority of his glee club confirmed the magnitude of his mistake.

**A.N. When is Mr Schue going to see the truth?Will he see the light before it is too late?All shall be revealed soon. To all the Will fans out there please no flames.**

**Thank you to those who helped me in my search for the missing story, it is called Nineteenth Hour, but it seems to have been taken off this site, which is a pity because it was really good. **

**As always I encourage you to let me know what you think of this chapter, if you have thoughts or suggestions for me. I love hearing from you so please get in touch. ~Carrie**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. My thanks as always to all who continue to read/review/follow this story.**

**To my amazing beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx for your dedication and time, I send you virtual hugs.**

**A special 'thank you' to Casey6646 for helping me and the muse break through the dreaded writer's block.**

**Lastly, as with previous chapters, this has material of a sensitive nature that some readers may find upsetting. It is not overly graphic but please be aware that it may act as a trigger.**

Detective James hung up the phone and sighed in annoyance. The day had been long and difficult before but now, due to the thoughtlessness and downright stupidity of a grown man who really should have known better, the whole team would be stuck overnight at the station, filling in more paperwork. Instead of being able to focus on the interviews of the glee club and getting closer to solving this messy case, they were delayed - both Sergeant Angelo and Dr Smyth were trying to deal with Will Schuester, while his partner, Detective Oliver, was trying to reassure the Berry family that the teacher would be kept away from their distraught daughter. He was just grateful that the task of calling Will's lawyer and the processing of forms had fallen to him, as he doubted his ability to hide the truth of his feelings from Leroy and Hiram and, at all costs, the men needed to remain confident in him and the team to get the job done in terms of justice for Rachel.

His assigned tasks complete, Detective James made his way to the conference room they were using as their headquarters for the duration of the investigation and set about organising the tapes of the glee club interviews into the order of viewing that they had agreed on before the call had come from the squad car outside of the Berry house. Each teen had had something valuable to contribute but those who had been with Rachel in the immediate aftermath were deemed a priority. The others would be watched, of course, to be used as evidence that Finn had been abusive for some months before the assault on Rachel and also his history of manipulating those around him so that the prosecutor, Christian Fox, would have an airtight case.

Detective James was joined by Detective Oliver, who related the story of how Will Schuester's lawyer had arrived to check on her client and, upon finding him once more medicated, had threatened to sue Dr Smyth and the entire department for denying Will his rights. Ms Scott had been stopped mid-tirade by Dr Smyth, who had produced a certificate from a secondary physician who approved the use of sedation, after which the lawyer had retreated reluctantly.

"She'll be back tomorrow, charming as always!" Detective Oliver concluded sarcastically. Ms Scott threatened to sue somebody at least once a month and was not respected by those who worked at the police station. With her gone and Will settled, there was hope that they might actually get some work done, or so Detective James thought to himself, which was confirmed when Dr Smyth and Sergeant Angelo arrived with fresh coffee in their hands. Not wanting to waste any more time, the team sat down and Detective James put the first tape in before briefing his colleagues on the interview he'd had with Mike Chang earlier that day. "He is still feeling very guilty for staying quiet for so long, for not speaking out about Finn's true personality and for not intervening in the locker room that day.

"_I wasn't even meant to be there that day but I'd left something behind me that I needed for the weekend. Not that I did much good. I mean, I left Rachel there instead of trying to stop Finn. All by herself with that monster, and I know what he's like, should have known what he was capable of..." Mike shook off his father's hand, his self-loathing plain for all to hear in his voice and he was unable to accept any comfort his father tried to give him. _

"_You did what you thought was right at the time," Detective James began only to be cut off. _

"_I knew Finn was messed up but I never dreamed he'd go that far. I would have stayed but I knew that Sam and Puck - I mean, Noah - were close and that, __instead of just stopping him, we could finally prove that Finn isn't all that he pretends to be." Mike paused, trying to control his voice - he had to focus on what was important and what he could prove. "I knew about the camera and I figured it would capture what happened when I was gone, that it would be more than just our word against Finn's. I should have remembered it was there sooner so I could have stayed." Again, Mike stopped, looking at his father for guidance, knowing that here was another person he had let down. _

"_Mike, I want to go back to the camera later, but for now can you tell me what you know about Finn's actions towards Rachel?" the detective asked._

"_He wasn't around much this summer and I though their break up was a good thing. They never really worked, could never work because, as Brittany will tell you, Rachel and Noah are end game, and she's right. I thought that Rachel seemed a bit out of sorts the last few days of the holidays but it wasn't until earlier that day – Friday, I mean - that I got a real idea that something was wrong." _

"_What happened?" Detective James asked. _

"_We have the same homeroom and, when Rachel went to leave, Finn tried to hold her back. I didn't hear the conversation but Rachel looked very uncomfortable with Finn, kept trying to put distance between them. Then Santana appeared as if from __nowhere and dragged Rach away. Finn was piss- I mean, very angry." Mike hastily corrected himself, looking apologetically at his father. _

"_Did the two of you speak - you and Finn?" Detective James enquired. _

"_No; as usual, he didn't realise that I was there and that suited me. Our last few conversations were mostly one-sided - how this is going to be his best year yet, the highlight of his high school career, all he needed to do was get his girl back. I didn't realise until later that he meant Rachel; he could have just as easily been talking about Quinn. Again, at the time I didn't realise that Quinn was back with..." Mike trailed off sheepishly, hoping the officer would overlook his last comment. _

_Luckily for him, that was just what happened. "So, fast forward to the afternoon and the locker room, and explain it in your own words." _

"_Like I said earlier, I heard voices, then Finn appears and it takes me a few minutes to see he had Rachel with him. They were in the far corner of the room and neither of them had seen me. I was just about to intervene when Finn threw Rachel's phone, smashing it, and I figured safety in numbers. Finn's not a lightweight and I didn't want him getting away. So I snuck out and went to find Sam and Puck - I mean, Noah. We got delayed because the janitor had closed off one of the halls so we had to go the long way round. The school was so quiet we could hear Finn from __the end of the corridor so we ran faster. I don't think I will ever be able to forget Rachel's face." Once again, Mike paused, this time closing his eyes and shaking his head as if to force the images out. _

_Detective James gave him some time to collect himself before asking Mike to continue. _

_"The three of us pulled Finn off of Rachel; you could barely see or hear her when he was on top of her and Finn was lashing out the whole time, at us and at her, until finally we got him off of her. Noah was focused on Rachel, otherwise it would have been a bloodbath. Finn was saying all this rubbish about how it was a private moment, that we were ruining their make-up celebrations, but he wasn't fooling anyone. I think we may have been able to hold him but Quinn arrived and Sam got distracted trying to get her away from the room - understandable given the circumstances - except Finn used it to his advantage and got away. I thought the best thing to do was stay there and Quinn called Ms P on her phone." _

"_From what you have told me, Mike, it sounds as if you did all you could and going for help was the right thing to do. If you had stayed there was every possibility that Finn might have hurt you and then finished what he started with Rachel. It did take three of you to get him to stop." Detective James watched as his words seemed to sink in and how Mr Chang nodded his head in agreement. Mike's father had been __mostly silent, offering encouragement and support when necessary but allowing his son to speak uninterrupted, his anger only showing whenever Will Schuester's name was mentioned. "Mike, I need to know about the camera now." _

_The teen momentarily looked slightly guilty, before shrugging his shoulders. "Artie and I found it by accident when we hacked into Jacob Ben Israel's blog, but it wasn't until that day that I realised where it actually was. The camera, I mean." _

"_I'm afraid I don't follow." Detective James was very puzzled by this answer. _

"_Jacob is obsessed with Rachel and we wanted to stop his blog. Artie is a computer genius and we thought that we'd change his password or something like that. Instead, we found these live feeds from four different cameras but couldn't figure out where they were from. This was on the Thursday. Friday morning, I recognised the view in one as being the locker room and told Artie. We were planning on telling Coach Beiste but Jacob wasn't in school so Artie blocked the signal or did some kind of computer magic so that none of the feeds could be accessed by anyone but us. That's why I figured it would be safe to let it record while I left to get help."_

This was not what Detective James had been expecting to hear at all and neither were the rest of his team. "Let me get this straight: an obsessed teen hid four cameras in different locations to record Rachel? Why the boys locker room?" Dr Smyth asked before adding, "Have you spoken to this Jacob Ben Israel?"

"The kid refused to say anything without a lawyer - his dad - who is out of town until tomorrow but, fortunately for us, Mike and his friends have solved some of the camera mystery for us," Sergeant Angelo told Dr Smyth. He was slightly in awe of the resourcefulness of this group of teens.

"_Artie, can you confirm that you sent one of my officers two emails with video attachments yesterday afternoon?" Sergeant Angelo asked. _

"_Yes Sir, that is correct. Although, for the record, I have not seen any of the footage I sent," Artie said. At the surprised look from the police officer, he explained, "I found the corresponding time stamp from the recording of the feed in the locker room and picked two sections to show you but I couldn't watch it. I couldn't invade Ray's privacy like that but you had to know what she went through. We just thought that it would help, tide you over, until she felt strong enough to talk." _

"_I understand, Artie; you are a good friend, looking out for someone you care about. Have any of you watched it?" _

_Artie shook his head. "Only a few of us know about the footage - Mike, Sam, myself, Sue and Ms P - but we didn't tell either adult until after I sent the emails." _

"_And how did you come into possession of them?" Sergeant Angelo asked, his voice showing his own curiosity. As Artie explained how he and Mike had discovered the mysterious cameras, the sergeant made a note to have the Berry house checked for hidden cameras, just to be safe, before asking Artie to repeat his last sentence. _

"_We think that the camera was meant for the girls' locker room but that there were some last minute changes that put the senior boys in that room instead. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense, and Ben Israel is keeping quiet." _

"_And have you been able to figure out where the other cameras are?" _

"_One is in the choir room, one is in the auditorium and the last one is still a mystery. It's maybe a dance studio or practice room of some kind but the angle is tight so it's difficult to tell." Artie sounded very disheartened at not being able to identify the room. "I was able to lock the signal for the camera; it is password protected until it is found, but until it is manually taken down I can't turn it off." _

"_I'm not the most technical minded, Artie; can you explain that last part to me?" Sergeant Angelo hated computers and was glad when the teen spoke simply to him. _

"_It just means that this last camera keeps recording until it is taken down but I and, well, now I guess you have full and complete access to it, and not Jacob, who set it up."_

"_You have obviously spoken to Mr Ben Israel." The sergeant's tone went up at the end of the statement, as if he were phrasing it as a question. _

"_Not me personally; that was Mike and Sam. I was busy locking Jacob out of his blog and deleting all his more recent posts because Rachel doesn't need to see or hear anything like that. I did keep copies for you; it's all here." Artie handed over a flash drive to the sergeant. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to keep watch in case Jacob sets up something new. So far he's kept his promise but that won't last too much longer, knowing him." _

"_And what promise is that?" _

"_After a discussion with Mike and Sam, he swore that he would leave Rachel alone - no more posts, blogs, or photos. He would be a Rachel free zone." _

"Did you ask the boys about this conversation with Jacob?" Detective Oliver asked. He had been with Dr Smyth and the Berry family, and so he had missed a lot of these interviews. Already, the information the team had received was extremely valuable. "Mike mentioned it without being asked, when he was explaining about the cameras. Sam seemed a bit more hesitant, but that was only because of his mom being there, I think," Detective James said. At the questioning looks of his colleagues who hadn't been there, he found the relevant part of Sam's recorded interview.

"_We asked Jacob twice to stop hassling Rachel, to stop writing his blog. When he didn't keep his word again, Mike and I called on him yesterday to remind him and this time we had more incentive, plus we wanted to know where the mystery camera was." _

"_When was the first time you asked him?" _

"_The first day back at school; he'd been pestering Rachel all day and we thought we could appeal to his better nature. You know, if he really cared about Rachel, he wouldn't want to upset her. That lasted maybe a day. He posted something __Wednesday and wasn't in school again until yesterday, which he spent in isolation with Coach Beiste. Honestly, we really only called to find out about the camera and deliver a small threat to frighten the information out of him." At his mother's gasp, Sam addressed her quickly. "We weren't going to hurt him, Mom; warn him off is a better description. We told him that Sue was watching out for Rachel now and how she won't stand for anyone messing with any of her favourites. We even had a letter from Sue on her stationary but Jacob was stubborn at first and, with everything else that was going on and wanting to get back to Rachel and Quinn, I lost my patience and temper and slammed his laptop closed." _

"_Did that get through to Jacob?" Detective James asked. _

"_He realised that we weren't going to leave until he promised and then he made this big deal about deleting things from his blog but we found out later from Artie that he's been a devious little..." _

"_Samuel Evans don't you dare finish that sentence," his mother interrupted her now guilty looking son. _

"_Sorry, Mom," Sam mumbled, getting a quick look of sympathy from his interviewer. "Basically, he lied to us about his blog, denied all knowledge of the cameras - which we didn't push him on - and then, on the way out of his house, I __caught my hand on some thorns and bled all over my favourite shirt, so it wasn't the best of evenings. It got even worse when we heard that Schue still couldn't see what was happening and everyone was so dejected back at Rachel's and I couldn't even comfort..." Sam abruptly stopped talking mid sentence and took a noisy drink of water, not looking at anyone. _

"_You were saying, Sam?" Detective James prompted, but the boy just kept his gaze on the glass in front of him and remained silent._

"What was all that about?" Dr Smyth asked. Sam Evans had spoken in detail about what he had seen upon his arrival in the locker room, the difficulty they'd had getting Finn away from Rachel and his anger at seeing the boy escape.

"I think that this interview may enlighten you." Detective James addressed his colleague with the first real smile any of them had shared since they had begun watching the interviews, so any moment of lightness, no matter how small, was welcome as a brief reprieve.

"_I was meant to be meeting someone after school but they were late, so I went looking for them and I heard a lot of loud, strange noises from the locker room but I couldn't really tell what was going on. As I got closer, I thought I recognised some of the voices as Finn and Sam and I panicked, thinking that… well that parts __not really relevant. What I was thinking, I mean." Quinn took a quick breath as she tried to regain her composure, which was slightly flustered by the directions her thoughts had taken her. "Anyway, I rushed through the door to see that Mike and Sam had Finn pushed up against the wall. I could also see Noah/Puck; I'm not sure what name you know him by." Quinn trailed off once more, her nerves plain to see. _

"_It's okay, Quinn. Either name is fine; we know who you mean," Sergeant Angelo spoke kindly to her while Judy Fabray placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder, urging her gently to continue. _

"_I could see that Noah was holding someone but I couldn't see who it was, not at first, and my attention was really on the other boys, but before I could asked what had happened, Finn had pushed Mike and Sam away from him and was out the door. It's strange but I remember thinking that his footsteps sounded very loud, like the vibration or echoes of them were bouncing off the walls. It probably doesn't make sense." _

"_What happened, then?" _

"_Mike and Sam seemed frozen; they were watching Noah and then I heard her - Rachel. I don't know how to describe it. She wasn't screaming, maybe like a lament, but that's not right either, I just know it's something that I'll never be able __to forget. When I actually saw her, it was like she wasn't with us, like she was caught up in some terrible place that she couldn't escape and, because I had been so focused on listening to her, I didn't register the blood until a few minutes later. I did the only thing I could think of and I called Ms Pillsbury. Rachel must have heard me because she screamed then and tried to stand up but she just couldn't support herself so Noah caught her when she went to fall and then Ms P was there. She has O.C.D, you know? Ms P, I mean, but she just sat down and waited until eventually Rachel quietened but she was just rocking back and forth at that stage and all she would say was 'home', over and over again." _

"_Is that why no one called her fathers? Or us?" Sergeant Angelo asked. _

"_Ms P just wanted to get her seen by a doctor but it was like Rachel had been possessed. She went from being crazed, for want of a better word, to eerily calm. She was going home and, if we didn't agree with her decision, we could leave and she would find her own way there. Noah managed to convince her to let him bring her home and to let us go too. _

"_You are doing very well, Quinn. What happened next?" Sergeant Angelo could hear from the tone of the girl's voice how affected she had been by the suffering of her friend._

"_Rachel kept swinging from one personality to another; one minute she was quiet, the next she was trying to tear her clothes off - what was left of them, anyway - and we worried about what she might do if the police arrived so Noah called his mom, who called San's mom - they're both medical professionals - and Dr Lopez felt that Rachel should be sedated for her own protection. By this stage we had all promised not to tell anyone, though San, Britt and I broke that promise yesterday by calling her parents." _

"_That was the right thing to do, Quinn," her mother told her. _

"_I'm sure Rachel knows this herself, even if she hasn't admitted it out loud just yet," Sergeant Angelo said. _

"_Listen to him, Quinn," her mother spoke, hoping that some of her daughter's doubt could be alleviated by the police officer's words._

"_Quinn, I'd like to ask you some questions about your relationship with Finn, if I can?" Noting how she paled, Detective James paused. _

"_But he never hit me," Quinn burst out. "I wouldn't keep something like that a secret but no one seems to believe me." _

"_There is more than one way to suffer abuse in a relationship, Quinn - not just physically. And I do believe you when you say Finn never hit you." Quinn thought about what the detective had said. Ms P had told her something similar but she was still having trouble trying to analyse her time with Finn, trying to see what she had missed, however Detective James seemed to understand her dilemma. "Take your time, Quinn. Just remember, I'm not being nosy; I'm just trying to get a better picture of how Finn is, especially when he doesn't have an audience." Quinn just nodded and waited for the next question to be asked. "Were you happy when you and Finn were together?" _

"_Honestly, most of the time, yes. The first time around, anyway. Sophomore year. Even when he joined glee and I knew that Rachel liked him I thought we were strong, that I was safe because he loved the romance and prestige of being part of the high school dream couple. Also, back then, I thought that it was all Rachel's fault, that she was perusing him. I guess, looking back now, I can see how Finn planned it so that he was never to blame. Not for Rachel, not for pushing Puck and I together, but I can admit to my own responsibility there. Sam has a theory about that, but you don't need to know about that, right?" The last part Quinn whispered, embarrassed with herself. _

"_Anything you share is useful, Quinn," the detective answered in a reassuring tone, __recognising that the girl regretting mentioning her friend's name. _

"_Okay, well, Sam thinks that if Finn is really as twisted as it now seems maybe he planned for me to mess up. It would give him a free pass with Rachel, but he never thought or expected that I would get pregnant, which complicated things until he realised that he could hold this over both Noah and me forever." _

"_It is an interesting idea Quinn, I can see its merits, but more importantly, what do you think? Do you agree with Sam?" The sergeant knew from Dr Smyth the importance of Quinn's answer, if only as a sign that the girl was begining to accept what she had gone through as part of Finn's manipulation._

"_I didn't, not at first, but then Mike told me how Finn knew the truth about me and Noah weeks before Sectionals but kept it quiet, so Sam's theory isn't as far-fetched as I thought originally. There is just so much we don't know about Finn, about what he's done and what else he is capable of. I mean, did any of us ever really know him at all?" _

_Detective James could see why Quinn and the rest of the kids involved were so frustrated. For him and the team this was just another case but for this group of friends and their families it was their lives under the microscope, their privacy that was being scrutinised and, for Quinn, it was about to get even more personal, which the detective regretted, but it was a necessary evil in the circumstances. "I need to ask you about where or how Sam Evans fits into your relationship with Finn." _

"_I was dating Sam last year, but I cheated on him with Finn. Sam found out and dumped me, which led to me getting back with Finn," Quinn said miserably - it was not something she was proud of. _

"_It is my understanding," Detective James broke off momentarily at the worried look that crossed Quinn's face, "that you and Sam are more than friends once more?" _

"_Yes," Quinn replied quietly, "but only a few people know. We are trying to keep it quiet." _

"_Because you don't want someone in particular to know?" the detective asked gently. _

"_Initially, it was so that we could see how things went with no pressure if the spark wasn't there. Then after Rachel and Finn broke up, I didn't want to seem as if I was bragging or being insensitive because we were so happy. I told Sam that I __wasn't ashamed of being with him but just tired of having a spotlight on my private life and he agreed. And obviously, with everything going on these past few days, it's not the right time to say anything." _

"_I can understand that, Quinn, but why does Finn think that Sam is dating Mercedes?" A guilty look passed over Quinn._

"_He made some comment about how its only when I'm seeing someone else that he wants me – Finn, I mean – so, for my sake and Sam's and Rachel's, Mercedes agreed to say that she was dating Sam. It probably seems like a crazy teen drama to you, but sometimes with Finn it's easier..." Quinn stopped suddenly, replaying her last sentence to herself and it was as if she could finally understand what the detective, Ms P and Sam had been saying. "How did I not see how Finn had been controlling me all this time?" _

"_To be fair to you, Quinn, it was a colleague of mine who told me; I just asked the questions she suggested. I am glad, however, for your sake at the very least, that you have had this moment of realisation." Detective James was sincere in his words. _

"_This makes things different. At least, I think so," Quinn began. "Honestly, my head was still pretty mixed up with my post-partum, so it would be unfair to blame him __entirely for last year's fiasco with Sam and all, but he wasn't as innocent as he'd like to pretend either. Even after the break up with Sam, it was weeks before Finn would admit to being back with me; he had no trouble trying to get me to sleep with him or spending time with Rachel and he knows how insecure I was about her after everything. Any time I mentioned it to him, he brought up Noah or Beth, like a 'get out of jail' card or an excuse to try and get through the bases quicker. I guess I was an easy target for him, like he knew exactly what buttons to press and then I made it easy for him to get to Rachel with my actions. I'm so ashamed when I think of what I said to her, how I made her vulnerable to him." _

_Quinn trailed off as she became lost in her memories of Junior year but Detective James was quick to interrupt, having been briefed by Dr Smyth to not allow another of Finn's girlfriends to be shaken by her guilt. "Our psychologist, Dr Smyth, will be looking through the transcripts of this interview and she may wish to speak to you in person but I know she doesn't want you to take on the added burden of feeling guilty because of what Finn has done. You have been very brave sharing your secret with me, so thank you for your honesty and I really hope you and Sam are happy." Quinn blushed at this statement but she was just glad that she had been able to help build the case against Finn and would do anything to stop another girl from suffering as she and Rachel had. _

"A clandestine relationship that Finn doesn't know about?" Dr Smyth quickly considered how this information could be used to their advantage. "It might come in useful if only to break through his little boy lost act. If he thinks that he is being defied like that, by one of the people he considers to be weak and easy to control, he may just lose him temper long enough for us to get the truth from him. I need to speak with Quinn and Sam first, though; after all, it is their relationship. I hope that it won't be necessary, though, because I hate the thoughts of any of those kids being still caught in Finn's web but, on the other hand, it may give them an opportunity to show him that they are all taking back their lives."

A knock on the door heralded the arrival of a young officer with fresh coffee and yet more paperwork and a message from the medical staff to say that Will Schuester seemed to be fully settled for the night. Thanking him, Dr Smyth gladly accepted the steaming mug of black coffee given to her by Detective James and took a quick look at the list of remaining interviews. "Do you think we could discuss what information if any was given by the glee club without watching the footage? Save for Brittany and Kurt? Unless, of course, you think there is something I need to see."

"With the exception of those two you just named, only Tina and Santana were anyway involved in the hours immediately following the attack," Detective James told her. "The rest of the group were told the following afternoon and even then they didn't learn the full details, or as much as Rachel would allow them to be told until it was decided that they needed to know the truth." The detective didn't think he had ever been as affected by witness accounts until that day, as the glee kids and Blaine told of Rachel's haunted appearance, the low whisper she used and how she flinched whenever people got too close to her. What worried him further was wondering how he would be able to remain stoic when he eventually had to watch Rachel's interview.

Both Tina and Santana had added to the accounts of those who had been first on the scene. They had, along with Brittany, been at the Berry residence when Rachel had been brought home and they had noticed how she kept disappearing into her memories only to emerge either screaming or fighting off the Finn she could still see, still feel hours after the boy had been dragged off of her. "We also learned from the girls that Finn left voicemails for Sam and Mike, saying he would let the fact that they had disrupted him and Rachel but if the boys thought they could spread lies about him they would soon learn the cost of such a betrayal. Tina insisted that Mike keep the message but Sam wiped his without thinking," Detective James said. Dr Smyth could understand Sam's actions, but was pleased that the evidence against Finn continued to grow.

They had also discovered more about Mr Schuester's pattern of allowing Finn to go unpunished for behaviour that other students were chastised for and also how he never seemed to stop any of them ridiculing Rachel, which several of the club had confessed to doing in the past, as they knew they could get away with it. Santana in particular had been full of remorse, admitting that her actions were party led by her jealousy of Rachel's unfailing belief in herself, no matter what, as well as allowing herself to be influenced by the social hierarchy that had long been instilled at McKinley. Santana was only now realising how this unquestioned system had been used by Finn to control those around him but she was determined that, when Rachel was able, the club would change how the school was. The legacy of their Senior Year would be one of acceptance for all and her personal hope was to unite all the students no matter what their social group and to eradicate bullying.

"I think she will succeed," Sergeant Angelo commented. "These kids have all been changed by what has happened to Rachel and, thankfully, there are some adults in their lives who will help them."

"Like Sue Sylvester. There is one insane lady but you can tell that she will do anything for those kids," Detective Oliver spoke; he'd earlier had the briefest of meetings with the cheerleading coach when she accompanied some of the teens to the station, but her name was legendary throughout Lima.

"I was glad to have her there with Ms Pierce," Sergeant Angelo said, remembering the bubbly blonde with a smile. "I found that interview very informative but I'll admit that sometimes it was difficult to know what point she was making. There were certain subjects that she spoke so clearly about, almost ordering me to question her superior knowledge, which was problematic because I was certain I knew what she was trying to tell me."

"Puckleberry?" Dr Smyth asked the sergeant, embracing the opportunity to reduce the seriousness in the room for a moment.

"Exactly. I gather this 'Puckleberry' is a vital part of her life, whatever it might be. I confess, in spite of her best efforts to educate me on the topic, I'm still lost."

"For starters, it's a 'who' not a 'what'. It's her name for Rachel and Noah, and it is not something you want to give the smallest hint of disrespecting," Dr Smyth explained, enjoying the perplexed look on the sergeant's face.

"I don't think I will ever understand teenage girls," he complained.

"Well, Brittany is one of a kind and yet her observations are second to none, as I'm sure you've discovered for yourself," the psychologist replied.

"Brittany ran into Finn outside the school last Friday and claims she knew something was wrong. See for yourself." Sergeant Angelo pushed play and the TV jumped to life; Brittany and Sue appearing on the screen, the teen looking to her mentor for some sign or message, missed by the sergeant before she spoke.

"_Most people think that I am stupid, that because I'm blonde and more talented than them I don't see what's going on around me. They're wrong though; I know when I'm being lied to, or when someone is trying to hide something or has been up to mischief. Like Finn. He's the worst. He thinks that he is the king of the school and can do what he wants, but he can't, not anymore." She paused, looking closely at the older man in front of her and for a moment it was as if their roles had been reversed, as if he was being questioned, but this passed quickly as she continued. "So, anyway, I ran into Finn after school Friday. I'm not normally so clumsy, you know?" _

_Again, Brittany stopped, so the sergeant hurried to answer her question as Sue kept a firm eye on her charge. "You literally ran into Finn; is that what you are saying?" _

"_Exactly. I knew you would understand. I like him, Coach." At Sue's nod of agreement, Britt spoke again. "Sorry, I'm nervous. Finn looked strange. He was all red and sweaty; his clothes were rumpled like he'd been in the janitor's closet with someone, except he didn't look very happy about how it had gone. Finn wanted to know why I was still there, so I told him I was waiting on Rachel, which made him __look even stranger. Then I recognised his guilty look, like the time during the summer he admitted leaving bruises on poor Rach's wrist." _

"_Sorry to interrupt, but Finn actually told you about that?" Sergeant Angelo asked. _

"_No, not out loud, but he knew about it when no one else did - only Rachel and I knew and she had said it was just between us. So when he asked, his story about how he knew was all wrong, when compared to what Rachel had told me. So that's when I knew that Finn had hurt her but I didn't let him know that I knew. But I started watching him closer. I told San I was worried about Rach; that her smile was broken and she didn't fly any more when she danced." _

"_Rachel was unhappy; am I right?" Sergeant Angelo asked and was rewarded by a bright smile from Brittany. _

"_Very unhappy but she tried to hide it from everyone, especially Noah. They always try and protect each other, in secret most of the time, but I think that is going to change very soon. Anyway, I knew that something was after happening so I tried to stall Finn." She made it sound like a question, looking at Sue for confirmation of the correct meaning of her words before she continued. "He was in such a hurry to get away that he was careless, but I let him go. He's a big guy and I've seen him angry a few times and I didn't want bruises like Rach." _

"_What did you do once Finn had left?" _

"_San rang to see why I was late, so I had to tell her that Rachel wasn't there to meet me. She was meant to be driving us to San's house; she was worried because Rachel is never late. I told her I could see Rachel's car so she must still be inside, then San got another call so I waited and when San was back she was talking funny, like the time Kurt's dad was sick." _

"_Do you know who she was speaking with?" _

"_I never got the chance to ask; San told me she was going to collect me, that Rach wasn't feeling well and that Noah wanted us to meet them at the Berrys'. She made me promise that if I saw Finn again I was to call her, but he was long gone by then. I've a key to Rachel's because sometimes I practice there, so we thought we'd fix Rachel's bed and find some nice PJs for her. I heard a few cars pull into the drive way, but San insisted that we wait in the kitchen, that Rachel was tired but as Noah was with her I'd know she was being looked after." Brittany visibly shuddered as the memories of what happened next played through her head. "Do I have to talk about what I saw? It still makes me so sad." Her voice was soft and it was obvious that she was reluctant to speak about that particular time. _

"_I know from your friends who were also there that you didn't see Rachel for the first hour or so after she arrived home so, unless you can think of something I need to know, we can move on," Sergeant Angelo replied kindly._

"_Thank you. It has been so difficult these past few days, seeing Rachel like that, knowing how she was hurt. I realise I can't change anything so I'm trying to help make things as easy for her as I can. I don't want her seeing my memories of that night, in my eyes or on my face, or for her to hear what I heard in the tone of my voice whenever we speak. I believe her when she says she has no real memories herself so I can't let mine hurt her any more than she already has been." _

"_I've heard how you've been surrounding her with pretty things, trying to give her happy memories. It is a wonderful gift to give your friend, Brittany," Sergeant Angelo said. _

"_I just want her to be able to smile with her eyes again, to hear her sing. She has an amazing voice and, with a bit of Puckleberry magic, I am certain she can still make all her dreams a reality. At least, that is what I keep telling her any chance I get, even when she is sleeping. I also tell her to ignore any lies that Finn has told her, like she's fat or wears horrible clothes or that she should be happy to live with him in Lima forever. Seriously, he is deluded if he thinks this town could ever contain Rachel Barbra Berry. She has more talent in her baby toe than anyone else __in this town, especially Finn, so how would she be happy being Mrs Hudson and having giant babies who inherited puffy nipples from their father?" At a cough from Sue, Britt finished her rant with a look on her face that dared the coach to challenge anything she had just said before she noticed the slightly puzzled look on the face of her interviewer._

For his part, Sergeant Angelo freely admitted to his team how that particular part of the discussion had challenged him. Such was the sudden swing in topics, the growing anger in Brittany's voice and his failure to understand the entirety of what he had been told. On one thing he was very clear; "Finn makes mistakes when he is under pressure or when he thinks he is cleverer than the person he is talking to. Thanks to Brittany, we have evidence of another occasion when Finn has physically harmed Rachel so that we can establish a pattern and we were also able to find video footage of Hudson leaving the school looking dishevelled, which matches the previous descriptions given to us by our witnesses, in terms of his appearance and behaviour.

"Plus, thanks to Kurt, we also have the boy's clothes from that day," Detective Oliver told Dr Smyth, who had been with Mr Schuester when Kurt and his dad had arrived at the station. It had taken some organising so that the Hummels could be there, as neither wanted Carole left by herself with Finn, so Detective James and Darran, the social worker assigned the case, had gone to stay at the house, allowing Kurt to be interviewed and for Finn to be assessed by the social worker.

"How was Kurt, in your opinion?" Dr Smyth asked.

"He was nervous and more than a little anxious but he also answered every question that we asked and volunteered information we hadn't realised he had," Detective Oliver replied.

"_Do you know that when Finn came home Friday I comforted him? For an hour? Tried to make him understand that Rachel was thinking about him as well by breaking up with him. I think it was at that stage that I figured that something wasn't quite right." _

"_In what way, Kurt?" _

"_Normally, even if he doesn't like what he is hearing he'll shrug it off, play one of his violent computer games and then we'll talk things through a bit more. Usually, I encourage him to talk to Carole as well, get a female perspective. But this time he snapped at me, told me that I had to choose between him and Rachel and that, as his brother I should be loyal to him. He almost called her a bitch, but stopped himself. I have to say, I was freaking out at his reaction, plus I was there in the __aftermath of Babygate. He can hit real hard when he wants to. He also mentioned Noah as well – how Rachel was back with him, which I knew to be untrue because, trust me, Britt has plans for when 'Puckleberry' are finally united, which, needless to say, I didn't mention to Finn." _

"_Did you think Finn might hurt you?" Detective Oliver asked. _

"_I'd like to say one hundred percent 'no' but if I'd been flippant, if I hadn't recognised the warning signs, I mean, who knows?" Kurt shrugged his shoulders, trying not to imagine what might have happened to him. "It was around then that I noticed his shirt was torn and he didn't like it when I asked him about it." At the detective's look of enquiry, Kurt continued, "Finn went on the offensive straight away; he wanted to know which of the gleeks was spreading lies, so I told him my only interest was due to the fact that the shirt had been a present and I could try to fix it before Carole noticed. He said he was to going to bin it but it was like he was daring me to try and change his mind, like a test of some kind. I just told him it was entirely up to him but that Carole would notice because it was a designer brand." _

_Kurt paused, remembering the unpleasant rant that had followed, which included the use of several profanities and one exceptionally hurtful slur that Kurt couldn't bring himself to say and had to write down, Burt's sharp intake of breath echoing through the room. "You know, in the grand scheme of things, a four-letter word, while cruel, can't physically harm me, so I'd much rather endure it, instead of suffering the smallest amount of what Ray's gone through, or Carole for that matter." _

"_That is a very mature way to look at things, Kurt," the detective said, "as is the way you've been handling yourself. It can't be easy being away from you family at a time like this." _

"_It's not but, in spite of Schue and Finn's best efforts, glee truly is a family now, so I'm being looked after. Carole needs Dad at the minute and, while I hate Finn for what he's done, I'm hoping he can be made to see sense and even make restitution for it." Burt watched proudly as Kurt proved he was full of his mother's kind spirit, wanting what was best for all concerned. _

"_Finn calmed eventually, told me to fix what I could while he thought of some excuse for Carole before storming out. He was back a few minutes later with the shirt which he just flung at me and then disappeared again, to his room. I could hear him pacing, having imaginary conversations with people, like he was preparing to confront someone, then he tore down the stairs and the front door slammed closed behind him." _

"_Did you fix the shirt?" Detective Oliver enquired. _

"_I got delayed. Firstly, I got the strangest call from Britt telling me to avoid Finn but she couldn't say anything more and then she literally hung up on me. I tried to call Santana for a translation or explanation but I got no answer. Blaine arrived around the same time, saying he's been ordered to visit me and to go all 'Fight Club' on Finn's ass if he came near either of us." _

"_Brittany again?" the detective guessed, only to be surprised by the answer Kurt gave him._

"_Actually, it was Tina; she promised to fill us in the next day but she told us that if we felt uncomfortable with Finn we were to give Mike or Sam a call, but under no circumstances was Noah to be allowed into the house." _

"_What were you thinking at this point?"_

"_Tina was acting a bit mysterious but I trust her and it was around about that time that I noticed the blood on Finn's shirt and I got this horrible feeling that just wouldn't go away. Blaine said he would keep watch so I snuck in to Finn's room but couldn't find anything else." Burt let out a sigh, hating the fact that Kurt had felt it __necessary to snoop on his stepbrother, as well as that he might have needed protection in his own home. "The thing is, Finn is a creature of habit - within a week of moving into the new house I'd found all of his hiding places so I knew where to look and, sure enough, he had dumped his clothes and shoes in the recycling bin. It's normally collected early Saturday morning so we took it – or, rather, I took it." _

"_Even when you didn't know what had happened?" Detective Oliver asked. _

"_Like I said, I just knew something was wrong. I added Finn's shirt to the rest of the clothes, sealed it, then Blaine and I drove to his house, locked it in his dad's old tool box and hid that in Blaine's wardrobe. Then we left a similar shirt into a drycleaners so that when Finn got back I could tell him that the rip had been fixed but that it needed to be cleaned professionally and give him the ticket." _

_Both Detective Oliver and Burt looked in wonder at the teenage boy in front of them, amazed at what he and his boyfriend had done. _

"_But why?" Burt couldn't help asking. _

"_Because you taught me to trust my instincts no matter what so, based on Finn's __behaviour and the phone calls, it seemed like the best thing to do while hoping to be proven wrong." Kurt saw the sad look on his father's face and knew his next words would not be easy to listen to, not that anything previous in the interview had been anything but depressing. "Do you know that he told Rachel he would do the same thing again? He implied that all this was her fault and that she deserved it." Kurt shivered as he recalled his friends' reaction to his step brother's declaration. _

"_When was this, Kurt?" _

"_Monday, in glee. We all knew by that stage. Well, except for Lauren - there hadn't been time and honestly not one of us expected the row that took place. We had spent that day keeping Rachel and Finn apart without drawing too much attention to Rachel. For once, Finn seemed to know when to cut his losses until we were all in the choir room, I guess." _

_The entire investigation team had heard about the episode between the club and Finn - how the boy, while staying away from Rachel, had been goading the more short-tempered gleeks, but that it was Kurt who had snapped, no longer able to watch the people he cared about being treated so cruelly by his stepbrother. "You know, right then I was so mad. He was trying to manipulate events so that Schue would walk in and see his precious Finn as a victim and I guess I played right into his hands, but I refused to let him act that way anymore. The people he was baiting stood up for me when I was being bullied last year while he did nothing until he had no choice and, even then, it was only to make himself look good. All this time, he has been the biggest bully of them all and I just wanted it to stop. I think the only one who escaped from his tirade was Lauren and that is because Finn only thinks of her as a spare part - someone to make up the numbers so that he can shine. She is a person too; she's kind-hearted, has a wicked crazy sense of humour and once she knew the full story she's looked after us in her own way, but I'd bet anything that Finn doesn't even know her last name." He took a moment to catch his breath. "Sorry, I just really needed to vent." He looked a bit sheepish but Detective Oliver assured him that he was entitled to speak his mind. _

"That family is going to need a lot of counselling to get through, this no matter the eventual outcome," Dr Smyth told her colleagues. She was pleased with how the interviews had gone. In spite of the difficult times each teen had experienced, their reluctance to speak about their friends and about secrets they would have preferred to remain private, they had also been able to see how they were being given a chance to stand up to Finn, to protect their family and to reclaim what he had tried to take from them. They were still hopeful for the future and determined to get Rachel back on her feet and Dr Smyth knew that a conviction would be crucial. However, the aim for the following day, when she would once more meet Finn, was to get him to take responsibility for what he had done and, thanks to the bravery of Rachel and her incredibly supportive family, she and the team had enough evidence to open Finn's eyes to the reality of the situation. A new era was about to begin - one that would no longer accept any of Finn's twisted behaviour. His fate was in his own hands; no more scapegoats, no more hiding behind his lost boy facade. Clichéd as it may be, but only the truth could set him free.

**A.N. I hope you all enjoyed hearing from some of the gleeks, what they saw and what has been going on behind the scenes so to speak.**

**A quick message of thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter but don't have Pm's enabled. Also to 'vanessaray', the scene at the end of chapter 28 on the Berrys' porch will be expanded in a future chapter. Given the chaotic nature of Will's mind at the minute readers only get certain details from him, but I do appreciate any and all ConCrit readers give me in reviews. So please keep in touch :)**

**I'm busy working on the next couple of chapters, but I hope that this epic 9000+chapter will keep you all happy for awhile ;) Please let me know what you think of this chapter ~Carrie**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. My thanks as always to you all for your continued support.**

**Virtual hugs to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being an awesome beta.**

**I'm sorry for the delay in updating, a combination of RL and my crazy muse. I hope you will all enjoy this new chapter :)**

"Do you really think that this is the right time to be doing this, Britt?" Quinn asked hesitantly. Upon their return to the Berry house, the two girls had helped Rachel get tidied up and changed into the outfit Brittany had declared 'the comfiest loungewear ever to grace Rach' before a soft laugh escaped at her unintended rhyming. Now, as the pair cleaned up the bathroom, Rachel already having returned to the waiting Noah, Britt was determined that there should be no more secrets between them all, so Quinn and Sam should own up to their renewed relationship.

"You know that Rach will be thrilled for you both, right?" Brittany asked.

Quinn carefully considered her words before speaking, "It still feels wrong to be happy and I don't want to hurt her, not even for a second. We both know that she and Noah are on hold for the moment. I'm just..."

"Trying to be a real friend. I get it, Q," Britt finished Quinn's sentence, a smile on her face. "I'm not going to tell you how live your life; talk it over with Sam, but we both know that Rachel wants us all to be able to move on." And, with a quick hug for Quinn, she dropped the subject, realising that not everybody saw the world as she did. Eventually, they would have to recognise her as the wise guru she truly was.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs alerted them to the arrival of Hiram Berry, who told Brittany that Blaine needed some help in the kitchen. Thanking him for the message the girl skipped out of the room. Hiram offered Quinn his arm and escorted her more sedately downstairs, "Been reading more Regency books?" Quinn teased lightly, Hiram's not so secret love of romance stories known by most of the gleeks after one particularly boisterous sleepover and a somewhat embarrassing Kindle mix up.

"What happened to never mentioning that ever again, especially in company?" Hiram responded in the same manner. Since they had returned to the house, there had been a definite change in atmosphere and, while it would be some time before Rachel's ordeal would be at an end, Dr Smyth had advised them all to accept each day as it came. Some would be better than others and there would be no way to predict how Rachel's recovery would go, but if the pressure to react perfectly to every situation was taken away, then they stood a better chance of coping with the challenges that still awaited them. Both Hiram and Leroy had agreed whole heartedly with Dr Smyth and, having explained this to the gleeks and with a little bit of help from Sue, the entire Glee family had promised to try. For that reason, the house was perhaps more active than in previous days and there was a certain element of tranquillity in the air that, though fragile, seemed to have infected all with a degree of optimism.

Realising that he had been standing silently for some minutes now, Hiram moved into the kitchen where the double act of Blaine and Brittany were cooking up a veritable feast with gusto. On a counter, Artie's laptop seemed to be in hibernating mode, and all the mobile phones belonging to the gleeks were lined up in a row, their presence at the Berry house known by all their parents. In fact, Sue had organised a meeting with the gleeks' parents to update them on the situation, with Rachel's permission of course, and to also discuss the subject of their return to school the next day and what that would entail. Lauren, Artie and Santana had asked to go as representatives for all the teens, in case any of their guardians had concerns. Rachel had decided to take the remainder of the week off, and even then she was unsure if she would be ready to return the following Monday. Noah had also declared his intention to stay with Rachel but, as Sue and his friends had promised to collect his work for him, his mother had given him permission. Not that there had been much chance of Sarah Puckerman denying either her son or Rachel anything; she too was greatly affected by what Rachel had gone through, not least because she could still remember the terrified girl she'd helped to treat the previous Friday.

"Hey, Daddy B," Brittany interrupted Hiram's wondering thoughts. "Dinner is about thirty minutes away. Do you need a snack? I'm just getting something for Rach."

"No thanks, Britt, but I can bring that to Star, if you want," Hiram offered. At the roll of Brittany's eyes, he realised that he should have known better that the girl had no intentions of missing any time in the company of her favourite couple. If Rachel needed applause to live, it seemed as if Britt drew her energy and spirit from seeing Rachel and Noah together. Looking at them right then, he thought he could understand why. They were both back on the sofa in the living room, Rachel curled up by Noah's side, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder, their hands inevitably tangled together. Though quiet, his daughter was listening to the story Mike was telling, Tina and Kurt close by, the latter drawing in a sketch pad.

From his vantage point, Hiram saw that his husband was also watching the scene, glancing up to catch his eye. Both men shared a look that conveyed fully the relief they were feeling - their daughter was safe at home, in the arms of the boy who had loved her for as long as the both could remember and surrounded by some of her loyal friends. "Snack time, peeps!" Brittany announced at the same time as a knock at the door sounded. Seeing that it was Sue returning with her three charges, Leroy rushed to let them in and check that the meeting had gone to plan. At Sue's suggestion, all the teens gathered in the room, so that she did not have to repeat herself.

"Having discussed the topic of school with all your parents, they felt as if the decision to return to school should be left to you to make on the condition that any missed time and assignments are made up for," Sue began. "I also realise that you would all like to stay with Rachel, but I really believe that it might be worth going back tomorrow." The noise level increased at this statement, some puzzled by the coach's words. "Hear me out at least," she requested, "before you get angry and throw me to the wolves for supper." Her trademark sarcasm was back with a vengeance and, while it grabbed everyone's attention, the look on her face assured them that they hadn't lost her support. "Just think this through; if too many of you are missing again it will lead to speculation and gossip that none of us want or need. We talked about this before, remember?" At the nods of acknowledgement she continued, "Secondly, you are allowing Mr Hudson to indirectly influence your lives and choices yet again."

"I agree with Sue," Leroy added. "You all know that Dr Smyth advice was to get back into you normal routines as much as possible. That it is not disrespectful to Rachel or what she has experienced, but a step forward."

"I don't want any of you, seniors especially, missing out because of that boy," Hiram stated, before turning to his daughter. "What do you think, Rachel?" he asked, knowing that her response would carry a lot of weight with her friends.

"I need- no, I _want_ you all to make this decision for yourselves," she began. "I can only be responsible for me right now, which is challenging enough. You know I love you all but I just can't."

"Hey, Rach, we get it, don't worry or upset yourself, please," Santana spoke for the group.

"I wonder," Lauren started, "Would it be possible to have a compromise, like independent study or something similar?"

"How would that work?" Sue asked, intrigued by the idea.

"Maybe we could be given all the assignments that we need to catch up on and all study together at school in the library, perhaps. Speaking for myself, I can't afford to fall behind, but I also don't think I could concentrate fully in a normal class setting just yet." This idea was greeted enthusiastically by the teens, most feeling that Lauren had explained their problem perfectly.

"I can arrange it with Principal Figgins, I'm sure," Sue said. The school's principal had been very cooperative from the moment he had been made aware of what had taken place on his campus and he had assured the parents of all involved that the needs of their children would be met.

"I've been thinking about what Dr Smyth recommended," Mercedes said. "Perhaps we could combine it with Lauren's idea to really fight back."

"What were you thinking, Mercedes?" Tina asked.

"It's about the choir room. That was always Schue's domain, his haven. Why don't we redecorate? Well, that's not quite what I mean, but what if we basically made it our own?"

"Like somewhere that is a safe place for us all? Free from any reminders of Schue and his clone?" Lauren said.

"It has potential, for sure," Kurt added, already inspired by what they could do with the space.

"It could be like the starting point for our revolution," Santana remarked excitedly. The three adults in the room watched the gleeks, Mercedes' idea having captured their imaginations, giving their spirits a much needed boost of confidence.

"Wait, Figgins will never go for it; we all know how stingy he is with money and how addicted he is to balanced accounts," Kurt said suddenly, his earlier creativity halted by thoughts of the notorious penny-pinching principal.

"If you want to do this, and I mean really want it, then I will siphon some of the Cheerios' budget for you." Sue was eager to see this project completed. "After all, this isn't for a once off competition but is a special investment in your future, so I will help make it happen." Brittany almost knocked the coach to the floor such was her joy at this declaration.

"Rach, what do you think?" Quinn asked in a gentle voice, trying to emphasise that there would be no pressure put on her to go back to the room before she was ready.

"It does seem like it could work – we could make it like our version of the Warbler's council room." She looked to Kurt and Blaine briefly before continuing, "For now, I'd like to help with the design side, if I could. Until the investigation is finished, I can't face going back, but I really do want it to be our room again."

"We'd like to help as well, if you'd let us," Leroy said. "And I'm certain the same goes for your parents."

"So it would be a collective project by the entire Glee family," Brittany once again finished someone else's sentence.

"I really, really like that idea," Rachel said quietly.

"Don't cry, Ray," Noah gently brushed away a few tears that had fallen, understanding how taking part in the redesign of the choir room would help to keep Rachel's mind occupied, diverting her thoughts from the attack, while also providing all of his friends with a means to keep busy and have something to show for their efforts. It also gave him an idea of something he could do for Rachel, although it would require some help from both of her parents as well as Mike, Artie and Sam.

At that point, a timer went off in the kitchen, which led to Blaine and Britt rushing to check on dinner while Sue stepped out to the back porch to call Figgins about the gleeks' request. When she returned, it was to find Lauren and Santana setting the table while chairs were being moved so that there was enough room for all present to eat at the same time. "Artie, are you certain you have space there?" Rachel sounded worried but her friend was quick to demonstrate that he was more than comfortable by performing some of his trademark wheelies, which made Rachel giggle.

"That's such a beautiful sound," Hiram whispered to Noah. The two were standing at the doorway that connected the kitchen and the living room, watching how Rachel interacted with her friends with more ease than on previous occasions. She was still inclined to fidget and dart her eyes around the room every few minutes, though she visibly relaxed whenever she caught sight of either her dads or Noah.

"I've missed it so much, though not as much as hearing her sing," Noah answered.

"Will you stay again tonight?" Hiram questioned

"Whatever she needs, she only has to ask, even if its space or time by herself. It's finding that balance Dr Smyth was talking about, but ultimately Rachel comes first."

"And that, Noah, is why we trust you. You constantly put other people and their needs before your own." At his shocked look, Hiram continued, "Just remember your promise to myself and Leroy - that you will take care of yourself as well. You are a good person, Noah. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise ever again."

Even though their conversation was taking place in low whispers, Noah recognised the sentiments for what they were - further proof that he had the approval and support of Rachel's dads. He was still struggling with his guilt issues, but he was feeling better after talking to the police, finally feeling as if he had done something proactive in getting Finn out of their lives, something that would actually make a difference. Noah was also determined to be worthy of Rachel whenever she was ready; he was willing, for the first time since his dad had left, to trust another person with his whole heart. There was no doubt in his mind that Rachel would guard it with her life, as he would with hers, and together they could write their own happy ending.

"Happy thoughts?" The girl in question broke into his daydreams, an unmistakeable look of love in her eyes, as if he was something precious to her.

"With you in the room, what else could they be?" he replied in a voice that few had heard him use before. Regardless of the fact that there were several other people surrounding them, once more Rachel and Noah were in another place, where so much went unspoken; because there was nothing they could or indeed wanted to hide from the other. "Almost, Ray," Noah said out loud, his words greeted by a very girly squeal from a delighted Brittany, who was unable to contain her joy at seeing the contented look on the faces of the couple.

While Santana appreciated Britt's reaction, she also didn't want the girl to spook Noah so, while she gently distracted her BFF, she watched surreptitiously as Rachel moved into Noah's arms for a hug, before whispering something into his ear. Whatever she had said to him, Santana noted the way Noah's eyebrows rose in question. Perhaps her own concerns for her friend were unnecessary; Noah was finally giving in and letting his heart live again.

Meanwhile, a quick glance at Rachel's face gave Noah the answer he needed to reassure himself, before responding positively to her. Rachel moved in closer, snuggling into his chest as if she was born to fit into the space, welcoming the soft touches of his hands through her hair and on her neck and the melody he hummed in her ear, just loud enough for her to hear. Gradually, Rachel became aware of the other voices in the kitchen again, the smell of the meal ready to be served and, for the first time in a long time, she registered a genuine hunger for food. She also noted and welcomed the lack of panic that had hovered at the back of her mind that recalled taunts proclaiming her fat. Rachel allowed herself to be guided to a seat at the table, Noah on one side, her dad on the other, all those she loved the most, with the exception of Ms P, gathered together engaging in normal conversation, for once the spectre of Finn Hudson not present.

When all were ready, Leroy spoke a few words of thanks that covered grace for all the beliefs of the group, keeping things light, and then they all tucked in, praising the culinary talents of Blaine and Brittany. "I was, wondering Sue," Rachel asked carefully, "if you perhaps might consider amending the Cheerios' diet?" As the coach remained silent, Rachel took a quick breath before continuing, "Britt has some amazing recipes that are healthy yet tempting. I thought that, with your permission of course, she could maybe give a demonstration to the squad." This was the longest that Rachel had spoken without being prompted and, although she had spoken slowly, her voice hadn't shaken, which again was progress.

"I could help Brittany, be her sous-chef for a change," Blaine jumped in, eager to support both his friends.

"If Britt wanted to do something like that I'd be more than willing to organise it," Sue replied, taking Rachel's idea seriously. In the wake of recent events, she had decided to be more open to other people's ideas and was honest enough to realise that she too had to change, that some of her past actions may have contributed to the social divisions in McKinley. "Let's get this redesign project started and I'll get to work on the cookery classes."

"Does that mean Figgins gave the go ahead?" Kurt asked. The more he thought about it, the more he knew that this would be the perfect distraction; already, with Tina's help, he had been able to do a few quick sketches, and so he felt that this was just what was needed. From his seat he could see Santana and Mike chatting to Leroy about possible school choices for next year. Lauren, Tina and Sam were quietly debating the merits of some artist as Quinn looked fondly at her not so secret beau. Blaine, Brittany, Sue and Mercedes were discussing how to put Rachel's idea into practice while Hiram and Artie just observed the interaction between Rachel and Noah. It was, thought Kurt, a turning point. It could easily have been early in the summer at one of their frequent and often impromptu dinners, where the only thing that mattered was that they were all together. Of course, he thought bitterly a few minutes later, that reality could only be held at bay for a short time, but although the interlude had been brief, it had also helped to revitalise them.

The initial warning sign was the screech of brakes as a vehicle came to a sudden stop outside followed by the slamming of a car door. The Daddies Berry exchanged a quick glance and then Leroy stood up as hurried footsteps were heard, first on the driveway, then on the stairs leading to the front porch. As luck would have it, Noah and Rachel had drifted once more into their special bubble so the aggressive and constant ring of the doorbell didn't register with either. Without having to be asked, Sue called the station as the patrol car was on its rounds and Artie wheeled into the doorway so that he would act as a barrier to anyone trying to get passed. The rest sat quietly, their eyes flicking between the front door and the couple who were beginning to become aware of the disturbance due to the angry shouts of one Will Schuester.

Leroy, who, with Hiram, had been setting up a camera to record the altercation, opened the door unceremoniously. "What are you doing here?" His voice was lacking the warmth of just five minutes ago. "Stop that racket this minute."

Shocked into obedience by Leroy's assertive command, Will took a few seconds before seeming to pull himself together. Before either Leroy or Hiram had the chance to speak, Will launched into a bitter, hate-filled verbal onslaught that all in the house could hear. Noah, being so attuned to his girl, and Brittany, who was vigilant where Puckleberry were concerned, knew the exact moment when the panic attack hit, triggered by the repetition of words used by Finn, and were able to act straight away. Hiram, alerted by the commotion, was so focused on his daughter that he didn't see Mercedes as she went to the front door, stepped between Leroy and the teacher and delivered a stinging slap to Will's face which silenced the man instantly.

"How dare you come to this house and blame Rachel for your mistake? How dare you undo all the progress she made today for your own selfish reasons?" As Will attempted to speak, Mercedes just held up her hand. "Not this time, Schue. In fact, not ever. From now on, you do not exist to any of us except Finn. If he is all that is good in your eyes then you are welcome to him. Forget about Rachel, forget about Glee, forget all of us. You are nothing."

Again, Will tried to protest, but Mercedes had been joined by Tina. "Listen carefully. That sound that you hear? That is Rachel trapped in her nightmares once more. Clawing at Finn, trying to get him away from her. Have you ever had to fight off someone who is a foot taller, maybe fifty or sixty pounds heavier than you? Maybe, if there is any justice in this world, or Karma makes you her plaything, you may well experience a fraction of what Rachel experienced and what Rachel relives during her panic attacks. Finn might have physically assaulted her, but this... this hell you are putting her through right now, this is all on you. So, like Mercy says, we are done. Stay away." There was no trace of a fake stutter, just the certainty in Tina's voice that Will had burnt his last bridge, and yet the man wouldn't give up.

"Don't you see what's happening here? She's ruined my life and Finn's life. She's using you like she always does."

Angry Spanish could be heard getting closer and both girls expected to see Santana appear, but instead it was Lauren who walked on to the porch.

"Mr B, you are needed inside, please," she told Leroy, who took one last look at Will before leaving the man to his fate which, based on the faces of the gleeks he met, was not looking to good. At the sound of a police siren, he retraced his footsteps back to the front door and caught the last of what Quinn was saying to Will, speaking for the club and his daughter.

"Rachel is not Terri and Finn is not you. He has sold you out to try and save himself, but we no longer care who you believe. There is no power ballad, no Journey song, to save you now. Take your poison and leave; there is no forgiveness for you here. And, just in case you are still confused, these nice police officers are going to refresh your memory while escorting you back to the station. That is all." This was Quinn, the former head cheerleader speaking, as Will was led away, still trying to convince the men who had handcuffed him that he was a victim. The teens stood watching as their former director and would-be mentor was driven away in disgrace, knowing that this truly was the end of Will's connection with the club; there could be no coming back from this last betrayal.

"How could he, after everything?" Santana asked no one in particular. The episode with their teacher had really upset the girl, though she couldn't understand why she was feeling so hurt, after all there was nothing new in his attitude. Sue, who could not even find it in her to gloat at Will's expense, tried to offer solace to the weary gleeks.

"Don't try looking for explanations. You did all you could. He is a grown man and he chose to believe lies even when the truth was shown to him. All we can do is to try and help here, okay?"

Rachel's cries had quietened, but the episode was still not over. Not wanting to crowd Hiram, Noah and Brittany as they fought to bring her back, the group found seats and tried to reorganise their plans. "Do you think school is still a good idea?" Tina asked. "I know I'd feel better if a few of us stayed but I don't want to be in the way either." This seemed to be the general consensus held by them all.

Sue had a suggestion for them. "Provided the Berrys approve, why not split into shifts so that you all get some time at school, but also still spend part of the day with Rachel?"

"I could help Rach in the morning as usual and then swap with Lauren later, just as an example," Quinn spoke. The gleeks agreed and set to work so that, by the time Leroy came to the door, they were once again prepared for the following day.

"Rachel's upstairs sleeping, though Hiram did have to give her a mild sedative. Did I hear something about designated gleeks?" He sat beside Artie, wondering how this incredible group of teens had coped with the evening's disturbance. "You can't begin to imagine how grateful Hiram and I are to know how much you all love our daughter, to hear and see you defend her so valiantly tonight. I just wish it hadn't been necessary." He trailed off as the gleeks made protests at his words.

"We're family, Mr B, and Rach would do if for any of us, already has in some ways," Kurt spoke for them all.

Not wanting to embarrass anyone, Leroy asked what they had decided to do the next day, approving the idea and then reminding those with curfews that time was not on their side. Lifts were organised for those who needed them, Sue getting a list of things to be collected for those staying the night and Sam insisted on tidying the kitchen before he left. With help from Mike and Mercedes this was soon complete, and the two also straightened up the living room so that there was one less thing for Rachel's parents to have to do. Sue was going to her own house for the night, but she reminded Leroy that she was only a phone call away, and left a similar message for Brittany who had remained upstairs while the gleeks had left.

Like the previous night, Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Britt were staying over and, after checking in with their parents, the three double-checked that the rooms on the lower level of the house were tidy. After speaking to the patrol officers and learning that Will was back under constant supervision, Leroy locked up the house for the evening and encouraged the teens to get some sleep. Even though it was not late, all were clearly exhausted, so no one tried to protest. Having checked Rachel for themselves, wished Noah, Leroy and Hiram a 'goodnight', Kurt and Blaine went to their room. Though Brittany resisted at first, the promise of sweet lady kisses and hugs from both of the Daddies Berry convinced her that sleep wasn't such a bad idea. Despite her outwardly calm appearance, Brittany was, however, imagining a confrontation with Will Schuester, the serious nature of her thoughts hidden by the gentle kiss placed on Rachel's head and her quiet exit of the bedroom. The police were busy, focusing on locking Finn up, so she was more than able to pick up the slack and give Mr Schuester a wakeup call he would never forget.

**A.N. To all those who reviewed the last chapter and don't have Pm's I just wanted to thank you again for your comments. **

**My muse has all these insane ideas lately, so I feel sorry for Will because now Brittany is out to get him as well as Leroy and Hiram. I'm still not 100% sure if Mr Schue should be redeemed so I'm interested to hear your thought on that subject and anything else you would like to tell me! **

**The next chapter will be from Finn's POV so I hope you will all be looking forward to reading it :) ~Carrie**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you all for continuing to read/follow and review this story.**

**xXLittle Rose AngelXx it goes without saying that you're the best beta a girl could ask for.**

**As promised Finn's point of view. I would like to warn you all that his thoughts are not very nice, and may upset some readers.**

Finn threw the controller away angrily, having failed yet again to clear the simplest level of his game. He was tired of his room, of being stuck inside his house while Rachel continued to turn his friends against him with her lies. Okay, so that last part was what he had told his mother in a tearful voice, trying to convince her that he was innocent of all he been accused off. He was frustrated that all his usual tricks and ploys seemed ineffective, as if he could not hide his thoughts from Carole anymore.

As it was, she could barely look at him, and had not touched him since hugging him as he left for that disastrous last day at school. Not that the hug was important to him - it was just another sign of how things had gone wrong, another reason why Rachel would have to be punished the next time they met, which would be soon if he had any say in the matter. With no phone or internet, Finn was completely isolated from the outside world and had had to resort to listening to the hushed conversations between his mother and that man.

There had been a short time when Finn had welcomed Burt's arrival. Carole was much less observant, caught up as she was in her romance, which gave Finn a lot more freedom to pursue his conquests. Then, after the marriage, Burt seemed to get it into his head that getting him tickets to a few football games gave him some authority over Finn, that he had some legal right to monitor his behaviour, could limit his time away from his own home. Finn had soon grown tired of playing the dutiful son, especially when Burt had reminded Carole of his unwillingness to protect Kurt from his bullies. He had not liked seeing the disappointed look on his mother's face over something as trivial as his former stalker. Had he not risked his reputation during his speech at the wedding? Allowed himself to be seen dancing with Kurt? What more did his mother expect him to do?

Then there was Kurt himself, who was always there, asking questions, never knowing when to mind his own business as long as he had some small piece of gossip to spread. Finn hated not being able to relax in his own home anymore, not being able to remove his 'poor, adorable Finn' mask unless he was behind a locked door. Seriously, was it too much to ask to have some quiet time without Kurt just appearing from nowhere, dressed in who-knows-what? Added to Kurt's ever growing list of offences was the fact that, if he wasn't constantly running his mouth, he was singing. He sang almost as much as Rachel did. Was it any wonder that he had made use of Quinn's adequate charms to take a break from the all singing, all glittering freak show that his stepbrother had turned his life into?

Even the formerly reliable Quinn had added to his discomfort and unease at that time of transition. All that harping on about crowns, corsages that matched her eyes and prom was wrecking his head. She had dared to lose her temper the one time he had left a hickey, punishing him by keeping her legs closed - the tease. Luckily, he had still been able to take advantage of her lingering guilt to get her shirt and bra off, as well as some other 'favours', which had taken the edge off once he had trained her on how to please him. Then, just as he had allowed Quinn to share the oh-so joyous news of their reunion and was enjoying the knowing looks and sly congratulations from the jocks for getting Little Miss Born Again to put out, the 'Lucy Caboosey' affair broke. Furious that he had to be associated with _that,_ Finn had made Quinn work for her comfort, finally sealing the deal before plotting his revenge on those who were threatening his position as 'Golden Boy'.

In Finn's humble opinion, his rigging of the Prom Queen vote had been pure genius, allowing him to make both Kurt and Quinn suffer publically at the same time. The only unforeseen flaw had been the sudden reappearance of Jesse St James, which reminded him of the fact that Rachel still needed to be claimed by him, but it was as a direct result of his desire to possess her again that he had unwittingly set in motion the events that had culminated in his current house arrest.

Still, he was Finn Hudson: the only son of Lima's war hero and the undisputed star of William McKinley High School, and he would emerge victorious once more. After all, hadn't he used the last few days to his advantage, planning his defence, plotting his revenge and imagining how good it would be to finally have Rachel back where she belonged - under his control and ready to submit to his every command and desire? As before, his plan would have two victims and he was looking forward to seeing the moment when Puck realised he had lost the girl again, to watch him sink into a depression that would predictably lead to Noah self-destructing, destroying any resistance Rachel may try to give. Perhaps, if he was feeling very generous, and she asked very nicely, he might just make Puck's punishment a tad easier. What, he wondered, would she be willing to do to spare that loser the worse of Finn's wrath? Suddenly, he was feeling a lot better about the future.

Finn's internal thoughts were disturbed by the arrival of his mother. Carole stood in the doorway, the light from the hall allowing her to see the messiness of the bedroom and the unkempt look of her son's appearance. She felt as if she was seeing a stranger - this sullen boy could not be her son, and yet she had to accept that he was. "Dinner is ready, you need to eat," Carole said, her voice steady as she mentally prepared herself to get through the meal. Finn stood and followed her to the kitchen, noticing that the television was switched off and the house was quiet.

"Where's Burt?" he asked.

"Outback, speaking to Kurt," she replied, before gesturing for him to sit. Not waiting to be told, Finn began to eat, only to stop as he remembered his hope to convince her that he was her 'sweet boy'. Carole, however, did not seem to be paying him any attention right then. Wanting to use Burt's absence to help further his own cause, he enquired about how she was doing and if the she had found the social worker's visit helpful in any way. Again, Finn received that searching look from his mother, before Carole sighed and answered his question.

"In some ways, I did get some information, but I'm still trying to process it all. However, the dinner table is not the place to be having this conversation."

Deciding that arguing would not help, Finn accepted his mother's words with no outside sign of anger and tried to maintain his nonchalant tone. "What would you like to talk about, Mom?"

"I was hoping that you would maybe tidy your room after dinner, take a shower, and make more of an effort? I don't want to fight with you, Finn. I just want my son back." Carole sounded tired, as if at the end of her patience.

"I'm right here, Mom. I really wish you could see me. Why don't you believe me, Mom? Why can you not trust me when I say I'm telling the truth?" He used his most pitiful voice, using all his knowledge of his mother's weaknesses to gain back some of the ground he had lost.

"Two days ago, those words would have worked, would have inspired me, Finn. You would have seen me fighting tooth and nail to protect you." Carole's heart broke a little bit more. "If you would only just admit to what you have done, I would get you the best possible help. I. Want. My. Son. Back. Why can't you understand?"

"I guess, then, that we have nothing more to say to each other, mother dearest. I am not going to beg you any longer, but know this, I will never forget how you treated me, abandoned me on the word of someone else. So, keep your happy home, your shiny new husband and that glitter ball you call my stepbrother." Throughout his declaration, Finn spoke as if engaged in a normal conversation, as if he were discussing the weather and had not just insulted his entire family. Carole knew, with a horrible sense of finality, that she had lost her son and would never get him back. The only avenue open to her was to try and get him the help he needed, for, in spite of all he had done - and she knew he was guilty - she couldn't handle the idea of Finn being locked up in prison.

Burt, who had finished his phone call, walked into the kitchen and was on instant alert, the silence in the room unable to hide the tension in the air or the feeling that a storm was brewing, just waiting to be unleashed. Taking his seat beside Carole, Burt watched as Finn finished his meal without a care in the world, refusing to look at either of the other occupants of the room until he was excused from the table by Carole. For a few minutes, both he and his wife were able to follow the route that Finn took upstairs, around his bedroom and finally into the bathroom by the trail of heavy footsteps, slamming doors and other noises that shattered the previous quietness of the house. Hearing the shower being switched on, Burt waited just another minute before embracing Carole, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. He was thankful that he had already spoken to Kurt for the evening, so that his focus could be on his wife and the ticking time bomb that was Finn.

Burt believed he was finally able to recognise his stepson's habits, his routines and his tells. He had heard enough from the other kids of how Finn used words to tear people down without raising his voice and he guessed that that was just what had happened before he had walked into the kitchen. Burt was at a loss for once, not knowing how to comfort his wife without causing her to have to speaking badly of Finn, who, at the end of the day, was still her son.

Gradually, her tears subsided and Carole regained enough composure to sit down at the table and tidy herself a little. There was no pressure to speak from her husband, which she appreciated. "I just don't know how I missed it - this side to Finn that has hurt so many people."

"I don't think that there was one event that is solely responsible for this transformation. There is always a hidden or buried side to each of us that we either ignore or embrace, this decision ultimately shapes our lives."

"You are a good man, Burt Hummel. I am so thankful to have you here by my side."

"Hush now, love, let's not dwell on anything negative. We can instead be relieved that the new social worker was so diligent in his assessment." He blushed slightly at her words.

"That is true; we know that we can still hope - that all is not completely lost, that we still have options." Though Carole spoke the words, she knew she hadn't convinced either herself or Burt that she was still hopeful for Finn's future.

"That's the only way to look at it. There is still a chance that Finn may see the wisdom in being honest, spare Rachel the trauma of going before a jury, but if not then..." He paused as the water shut off upstairs and, not wanting to be overheard, Burt left Carole to take a few minutes to herself while he tidied up after the meal.

One of the suggestions that Darran, the social worker, had made was for the three of them to spend a few hours after their evening meal engaged in a normal family activity, such as watching a game. Believing it might remind Finn of what he had to lose as well expressing concerns about him spending too much time in isolation, the social worker had convinced Burt of the benefits of at least trying, and that was what he was going to do, no matter how much Finn tried to resist. "Do we really have to go through with this charade?" Finn asked, sounding like a petulant child. "It's not like any of us want to be here."

Burt stayed silent, aware of how Finn liked to challenge everything he said. Carole's determination to make the most of every opportunity to reach her son was clear in her response to her sulking child - the three of them would spend the next ninety minutes watch college ball as planned, but neither she nor Burt expected Finn to make conversation if he chose not to. "A compromise, like Darran suggested."

Carole's words were a reminder to Finn of the pompous do-gooder who he had been forced to talk to that afternoon. The social worker thought that, by sharing some of his stories of playing football at OSU, Finn and he would bond and then share secrets. Realising that Darran was no better than a spy employed by the Lima Police Department, Finn had been on his best behaviour and, while he suspected that he had failed to fool the man with his act, he was confident that he had kept his darker side hidden. Why else was he still at home, albeit under lock and key? Perhaps there was hope yet that this whole episode could be kept private, settled without the whole town being exposed to Rachel's version of events. If he was patient enough, Finn was certain that he could get his former girlfriend to withdraw her allegations; all he needed was a few minutes alone with her and everything could go back to normal. Well, his version of normal - an upgraded version with a few less interfering busybodies and rivals getting in his way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Finn caught sight of Burt, who was also pretending to watch the television. The older man was distracted by some message he had received, but he made no mention of it and Finn was adamant that he would not voluntarily speak to his stepfather unless he had no alternative. What he needed most was time by himself to put together a definite plan, figure out what his next step should be, prioritise. He had learned the hard way the price to be paid by making spur of the moment decisions such as verbally attacking Mr Schue in the choir room and making his accusations against the teacher too early in this saga. The only advantage of that action had been the delay it had caused in his being questioned properly by Lima's finest, but Finn was sure that would be changing soon.

From conversations he had been able to listen in to, the police had taken his claims at least half seriously, had spent the whole of the day interviewing the glee club, and they must have believed that they had a case against Schue. It would serve the idiot right for failing to protect him from the inquisition and for allowing a group of teenage losers and rejects to get the better of their teacher. The blame for that fiasco lay firmly at Will's feet. Hadn't Finn handed Schue the perfect opportunity to purge the club of those who couldn't or wouldn't follow orders, and who would always challenge their superiors - in other words him, Finn? But no; simple, useless William Schuester wanted them all to be friends, to talk things through, to sit in a circle and sing. God, was he ever sorry for reintroducing Schue to Journey. What good had ever come from it? Instead of going straight to the gullible and moronic Figgins, who would have agreed to kicking Puck and those loyal to him out, Mr Schue had been led by his pants and his not his teeny, tiny brain. He had allowed a crazy, red-headed bitch to jeopardise Finn's future and deny him access to his property.

At Carole's gasp of shock, Finn saw that, in his distracted and bitter musings, he had snapped the remote control for the DVD player clean in half. He could see her slowly moving further away in case he lost his temper. Did she really think he would lash out at her when he knew only too well the importance of keeping her on his side? Honestly, how stupid did his mother think he was? "I'm going to bed," Finn declared, dropping the broken pieces to the floor and avoiding eye contact with both adults in the room before storming out. Making his way upstairs, Finn slammed his bedroom door closed. He wished he could lock it behind him but privacy was, to quote his darling mother, 'a luxury and a privilege that he was no longer entitled to.' Trying to pull himself together, he decided to finish the last of his hidden drink stash - all he needed to do was to wait for the nightly check his mother never failed to do, then he could take the edge off. Finn always felt he thought better after a drink or two and, having decided on this, he changed and forced himself to feign sleep when the door opened some time later. With his back to the door, he missed the pained look on Carole's face; he didn't see how her hope was all but gone, and that her greatest fear of being unable to get through to him, of losing him like she had his father, was in danger of soon becoming a reality. Sadly, Finn was too far gone to care about his mother's feelings, Burt's weak heart or anything other than how he could achieve his goals.

As the first drink of vodka slipped easily down his throat, he thought about taking some of the advice Rachel had given him for study, making a pros and cons list. This thought had him reaching for the bottle again; hell must be freezing if he could begrudgingly admit that sometimes there were advantages of actually listening to something she had said. Even though she would never know what he had done, Finn knew that he would punish Rachel for this as well. Like he really needed a valid reason at this point in time. She had been tempting and teasing him for years, with her short skirts, flirty looks and touches. In his eyes, their glee performances were an admission of her desire, of her need for a strong and commanding leading man who would cure her of her stubbornness, strip her of her free will and mould her into the perfect wife. How dare she then say no, when he went to take her? How dare she try and break up with him, deny him what was rightfully his, especially after all she had forced him to endure?

Finn took another couple of drinks, savouring the growing strength of his convictions and the clearness of what now must be done. The time had come to act before it was too late, before Puck took another conquest from him. Finn was man enough to acknowledge being able to see how his former friend was weaselling his way into Rachel's life, how eager Puck was to jump in to bed with her. Finn could not and would not allow that to happen. Rachel was for his enjoyment alone and this time he would not share. She must be pure and untouched. Rachel was different that Quinn in some ways - like how she had said that girls liked and wanted sex just like guys did - so she could not blame Finn for taking her at her word.

Finishing the last of the bottle, Finn had even more incentive to get out and claim his property back and there was no way he could keep his act going without alcohol to dull the boredom. He was determined to get his mother back under his control. Inspiration struck as to how he could get closer to achieving his goal - all it would take was the right timing and finding away to distract his mother and his stepfather. Knowing that he would need to be on the top of his game and feeling more like himself for the first time in days, Finn gave into sleep, his last thought being that Kurt of all people would unwittingly aid him in his escape, and that by the time he was missed it would all be over.

**A.N. Hands up those of you who think Finn is a sick puppy? Even I had a difficult time reading the chapter once it had been edited, and I wrote it! **

**Thank you to all those who let me know their thoughts about Mr Schue, my muse and I are almost in agreement as to what is going to happen, partly inspired by your comments :)**

**To 'vanessaray' thank you so much for your kind words in your last review, they mean so much. My thanks also to 'On-Eno' and the other reviewers who have P.M disabled, I love hearing from you all.**

**As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments, and allow me to take a small moment to say how cool it is to be almost at the 400th review mark. I have the best readers/followers/reviewers ~Carrie**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Wow, 411 reviews as of today, you guys rock. That is all! Special mention to 'lappers84' for being reviewer number 400 :)**

**xXLittle Rose AngelXx thank you as always for all your work and committment to my fic.**

Rachel had always loved to dance. Her dads had enrolled her in classes as soon as was possible once they saw the way their young daughter moved in time with the music that was constantly playing throughout the house. Yes - even at that young age, Rachel had known what she wanted, knew how happy and free she felt every time she got lost in a melody, the beat flowing through her, and then she would dance.

It was strange, in some ways - even though music was her first love and the one thing she truly excelled at, she had never felt the same pressure to learn a move or to land a jump as she did when singing. Perhaps pressure was the wrong word; expectation seemed more appropriate. When you feel as if you only have one thing you have that makes you special, one thing that you have to contribute to your club, to know that your future is reliant on being note perfect every single time, then the expectations, both your own and those of the people around you, can slightly erode the joy that music brings you.

"That's some deep thinking there, Rach," Finn's voice drawled, breaking through Rachel's meandering thoughts. "And you know that I don't like it when you think for yourself. Thank you for finding the perfect place for place for us to be alone again. So dark and quiet. Just you and me, all alone, Rach. Hmmm, now where were we before being so rudely interrupted?"

"You're not real. This is all in my head," Rachel whispered to herself, fumbling around trying to find a light switch. Where had everyone else gone to? Where was Noah? Dad and Daddy?

"It's no good calling for anyone now, Rach. The plans I have for you," Finn jeered. A sliver of light pierced through the gloom, a distant voice she couldn't quite make out called to her, but it was enough to bring Rachel to her feet.

"You're lying, Finn. People are looking for me. You won't get away with this." Rachel was proud that her voice didn't tremble, that she was able to fight back in this small way.

"Oh Rach, that doesn't matter. Once I've had my way with you and possessed you fully, you will never be free. You will never want anyone but me." The tone of Finn's voice emphasised the depraved intentions he had towards her and his certainty that he would be successful this time.

"Your words might have scared me before, Finn, would have convinced me to give in, but not anymore. You have no power over me now." Rachel knew she had to keep Finn talking - he was too strong for her to overpower, but if she could delay him then help would reach her like before. There was no response to her declaration, which unnerved her, as in the dark Rachel had no way of knowing where Finn was except from the sounds of his voice. Trying to keep her growing panic at bay, the sudden feeling of a hand on her own nearly caused her to scream, but the knowledge that she recognised the touch kept the noise locked in her throat. This wasn't Finn's clammy hands trying to grab her, but a gentle caress. "Noah." Rachel allowed herself a moment to draw courage from the warmth of his hand as it moved softly over her skin.

"Well isn't this cosy?" Finn was back. "The manwhore has fallen for the frigid bitch. How long will it be, do you think, before he tires of you? How long will he wait before he's had enough of hand holding?"

"Enough! Leave Noah out of this," Rachel shouted back. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"There's no fun in that for me, Rach, and, after all the trouble you've caused, I think I'm more than entitled to that, don't you agree?" His question was both repulsive and worrying, further proof that he would hurt those who tried to protect her.

"My name is Rachel," she said clearly, hating the way Finn had turned a once special term of endearment into something dirty and cheap-sounding. Without warning, his hands were on her again, gripping Rachel tightly, making her skin crawl, polluting Noah's precious caress.

"I'll call you whatever I want to and don't you ever forget it." Finn's words were cruelly spoken, matching the way his hands tore once more at her clothes, his nails tearing at her.

_This time_, Rachel thought to herself, _I'm not going to make things easy for him_, and, despite the darkness that left her blind, her fist connected with his face, before following his earlier example as she used her nails to cause as much pain as she could.

"Bitch." Rachel knew from that single word of Finn's that she had to move, had to find somewhere to hide so that she could regroup. She knew her friends would be searching for her, that Noah and her fathers wouldn't rest until she was safe. It was up to her to help them, to help herself, and so, while she may not be able to stop Finn, she was determined to make his attempts as difficult for him as she could. Using Finn's heavy breathing as a guide, Rachel moved through the darkness, trying to sense if there was some place for her to find shelter, but to no avail. She just wished she knew how she had gotten to this place; she didn't remember leaving her kitchen with its comforting atmosphere, leaving behind the quiet buzz of multiple conversations and the now-familiar aroma of Blaine and Brittany's cooking. Rachel could dimly recall that the bright lights and gentle chatter had been disturbed by loud noises, a sudden change in the moods of those around her, and then she was here, by herself. It was all so confusing and Rachel knew that she had to concentrate on the present; the past would just have to wait.

"You can run, Rach, but I'll find you. I will always find you." Finn was closing in on her and, in her anxiety, Rachel tripped, landing awkwardly. Not wanting to risk another stumble, she slowly and as quietly as possible moved backwards until, with a sudden jolt, her back hit a wall. Finding herself in a corner, Rachel was terrified that she would be trapped, but at least she now knew that there was a limit, a boundary to the darkness. Trying to steady her breathing, she focused on a melody that unexpectedly played in her head, almost as if her subconscious was doing its best to help her.

Sadly, the calmness she gained didn't last long, as Finn appeared before her, a spotlight behind him that made his frame seem taller than ever before, while she was curled up tight in a ball in the corner. "Since you won't behave yourself, I will just have to punish you," he said and, before Rachel could stop him, Finn had tied both of her hands together in such a way that the rope he used almost cut off her circulation, pushing her sharply so that she lay vulnerable before him. "Now where were we?" he taunted her, all Rachel's hopes of escape gone, her brain frozen. All she could do was watch as Finn came closer and closer.

"Come back, Rach."

"Star please."

"Always, Ray."

Three separate but equally loved voices burst through the darkness, causing Finn to trip, and they reenergised Rachel who, though still bound, moved so that she was sitting up and tried her best to use the momentum to stand up. Again, it seemed as if her body had betrayed her, was refusing to help her move away but Rachel continued to rock, hoping her tired legs would start working. Finn seemed to have recovered and was again looming overhead, his face twisted in anger. Rachel kept moving, kept lashing out with her hands, trying to loosen the ropes that were burning at her wrists.

"Get away from me! I will never be yours, Finn! Not ever!" Rachel shouted. Was it possible that the darkness was fading, changing somehow, or was this simply just another one of Finn's traps? Focusing only on her attacker, Rachel continued to push Finn away, kicking at him with her feet, hitting out with her hands, and still the light grew, the voices of her loved ones became clearer. Finn, she saw when she opened her eyes, was trying to regain the upper hand but he appeared to have shrunk, no longer like a giant. It was as if he was fading as the light filled the space before her. And still Rachel continued to struggle against her bonds, continued to inflict pain on the boy who continued to terrorise her until, with a furious roar, he was swallowed by the remaining darkness and she felt the familiar metal pinch that made her float.

Daddy was here to help her and Noah was there too. He was always there when she came back; he kept bringing her back when she thought herself lost. He was the anchor that kept her from floating too far, from getting burnt by the sun, but he never begrudged her need to let go, to wander, to dance. He knew that she was a star and was destined to shine. He knew that she preferred moonlight to the harsh brightness of day. Would Noah dance with her amongst the stars? Would he whisper in her ear? Sing random melodies just for her?

"Focus, Ray," Noah's voice rang through the silence, urging Rachel to put aside her daydreams and find her way back to where he and her fathers were waiting. "You're safe. Sleep. Dream." That seemed like such good advice to her, and yet she felt as if she was missing something.

"Sleepy," she murmured. "So sleepy, Noah." It seemed as if he could understand what Rachel herself could not articulate, could see beyond the words she had said and would grant her request. To her delight, Rachel felt his lips on her forehead, on her temple, on her hands. She felt the tender ministrations of his fingers as they ran through her hair, soothing her and reassuring her that she was home, that she was safe.

"Dream," Noah repeated and Rachel obeyed, giving in and allowing her body to let go of the last remaining shards of panic and fear, her pain ebbing away until there was only peace, only love and gentle music filling her head.

Noah found himself once more watching as Rachel slept, knowing when the terror left her and she had registered his words, welcomed his touch. The room was slowly getting lighter as another day began and, even though he had stayed awake in case he was needed, Noah was not tired. As upsetting and frustrating as Schue's visit had been for them all, it was as if Noah knew a change was underway. It was as if whatever happened today would be the catalyst for something amazing. It was strange and somewhat clichéd but, for once, he was going to trust his heart and, as if the universe decided to reward him for his faith, he felt Rachel stir in his arms.

"Noah," she sighed dreamily, causing his heart to stutter and skip a beat, for perhaps the third or fourth time ever in his life.

"I missed you, Ray," he whispered, not wanting to startle his still half-sleeping girl, but Rachel just smiled and snuggled closer to him.

"I've been here, Noah, waiting. You just got a little lost, a little bit delayed is all." There was no hint of censure in Rachel's words, as she recognised the double meaning of his statement, or rather another emotion that made Noah's pulse quicken. The timing still wasn't right, they had only to wait a small while longer, but at that particular moment, he couldn't remember why it had to be so. Before he could speak, he felt the touch of Rachel's hand on his cheek, on his jaw, before it rested ever so gently on his lips. She traced their shape as if to memorise them, gazing wondrously into his eyes, the pad of her thumb coming to a rest on his lower lip. "We're almost there, Noah, but you were right. No more secrets, no more walls."

"Right now, I just want to skip to the happy ending. I don't want to wait," he replied.

"That's the price you have to pay for being so wise," Rachel quipped with just the smallest hint of a smirk, another sign to Noah of the change he was anticipating. Her voice softened, and she asked, "When all this is over will you dance with me?"

"We'll put Fred and Ginger to shame, Ray. But I get to choose the music." Trying to stifle a sudden yawn, Rachel nodded her head in agreement, wondering how just listening to Noah's heartbeat never failed to lull her to sleep. There was still so much she wanted to say, to tell him. Sensing the slight agitation in her, Noah whispered, "I'll be here when you wake; it's early yet." Placing a kiss to her hair, he let Rachel settle herself more comfortably against him, lyrics trying to make their presence known to him, as he played chords on Rachel's back.

"I like being your guitar, No..." she trailed off, the combination of his touch and the beat of his heart too much for her to resist, her mind, as well as her body, craving rest after its earlier battle with Finn.

The next time that Rachel woke it was to find that she and Noah had moved slightly in the bed. She was aware of the muscles under his t-shirt, the strength of his chest and the slightly tickle of his breath on her face. Gingerly, she reached out to place her hand over his heart, watching in fascination as it rose and fell in the same rhythm as her own. She felt the slight indentation of the nipple ring he still wore in spite of his time in Juvie. Rachel could still remember being horrified when Sarah Puckerman had told her and her fathers that Noah had mutilated his body, but now she could understand why he had acted as he had and why he still kept it. It was the rebellious act of a boy forced to grow up, who had decided he might as well behave as others saw him - those who judged him without knowing him, who criticised his well-intentioned but contorted way of trying to provide for his mother and sister. It was also why she would never ask him to get rid of it, for she wanted Noah just as he was, no matter the journey he had taken to get to this stage in his life. No, the only thing she would ever wish him to change about himself was his warped view of himself; she would not tolerate anything that would cause him harm. If there was one thing she feared more than Finn, it was seeing someone she cared deeply about being hurt.

Pushing those melancholy thoughts from her head, Rachel stretched so that she could run her hands through Noah's 'hawk', memorising the way it felt. It seemed as if her explorations had woken him. "Hi," she whispered shyly.

"Hey back," Noah replied, before returning the favour, his fingers sweeping her dark chocolate locks away from her face, the stray beams of sunlight that had crept in illuminated Rachel, so that he could see the return of the spark in her eye. _Yes_, he thought to himself, _change is in the air_.

"What are you thinking about?" Rachel asked him as she soaked up the moment, knowing that she would replay it whenever she needed a pick me up.

"You know I don't think, Ray. I do," Noah answered, their one time favourite inside joke making an unexpected reappearance. He caught the look in her eye and the rest of his words were forgotten. He had a brief flashback to a previous whispered conversation, a promise that had been made, and knew it was about to be fulfilled.

Ever so slowly, Noah lowered his head, closing the distance between them, giving Rachel time to stop him, but she had no intentions of doing so. Instead, she lifted her head to meet his, brushed her lips against Noah's as he returned the kiss with great reverence. Like all their previous kisses, it was gentle, tender at first, until their emotions reached a point where caution could no longer contain either of them. This time it was Rachel who carefully ran her tongue along the seam of Noah's lips, who swept inside, caressing softly to begin, but as Noah responded to her, Rachel unconsciously deepened the kiss further. They moved in perfect harmony, exploring and tasting until they ran out of breath. Even then Noah dropped kisses wherever he could, leaving a trail of fire along the way.

"Ray," It was like a prayer of thanksgiving for this moment, this chance and Noah continued to worship the girl in his arms, the girl he thought he had lost.

Rachel, too, was trying to show Noah the depths of her feelings, her hands catching in his hair, pulling gently as her lips skimmed his jaw, his neck and anywhere else she could reach, before returning to his beautiful mouth where ever so gently she bit his lower lip. "Noah, _my_ Noah," she breathed, watching in awe as Noah's eyes grew darker in response to her words, her claim. The look he gave her was filled with such passion and that four letter word they both longed to say. As the couple stared at each other, any remaining doubts simply melted away. Stillness fell over them, in sharp contrast to the almost frenzied scene of minutes ago, both seeking signs of confirmation in the other before once more Noah drew Rachel to him.

This time, the was kiss was lingering, unhurried, Noah sipping at her lips, making no attempt to go any further but just soaking up the sensations caused by their closeness. He was aware of Rachel placing her hands on his shoulders, of small adjustments she was making to her position on the bed, so he broke the kiss, hoping he hadn't pushed her comfort levels. From the glazed look in Rachel's eyes, this did not seem to be the case, but perhaps it was a timely reminder to slow down. "Not yet, Noah," Rachel whispered, already missing his loving ministrations, pouting her well-kissed lips ever so slightly when it became obvious that Noah was not going to relent, before quietly apologising.

"Never that, Ray," he replied, not wanting her to ever be sorry for allowing him to share moments like that with her. "I don't want to rush this." He knew she understood everything he hadn't said out loud, the meaning of his words easy to decipher - how he didn't want her dads to think he didn't deserve their trust, that he had somehow detected the slightest trace of rejection after he had declined her offer to continue. Most importantly, Rachel saw how Noah was showing respect for himself, regaining confidence he had lost, letting go of the feelings of worthlessness he had about himself. This belief had grown with every cougar who had taken advantage of a messed up kid.

"Cuddles?" Noah asked in a voice so serious that Rachel couldn't help but giggle and, just like that, all was perfect again. The issues they had could wait; for now, they had this uninterrupted time to enjoy.

"Play me a song Noah," Rachel requested and, as she had hoped, he moved his hands up and down her back, humming sweetly in her ear and, when he was finished, Rachel kissed him again, chastely. Her lips moved tentatively on his, expressing all the song had evoked for her, for them and for the future, and Noah returned the kiss gladly, welcoming the magic that was finally returning to their lives.

**A.N. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was blown away by all your reviews for the last chapter. I can only hope that you will enjoy this chapter and the much needed sweetness of Puckleberry.**

**To 'meep', 'vanessaray', 'BT', 'Emile A' and all those who left reviews that I can't personally reply to, I want you all to know how much it means to me to hear from you, and how your comments keep my muse and I writing. **

**I've been kind of obsessed this past week, trying to get Ryan Murphy to realise #Puckleberry outtakes, so if any of you are on twitter I would urge you all to let him know that we deserve some love just like the other ships! His handle is MrRPMurphy so let's get tweeting!**

**Speaking of Twitter, there I was last week, minding my own business, stalking famous people as is my habit (when I'm not trying to get #Puckleberry to trend) and all of a sudden I see a fic rec. Always on the look out for a new fic I click the link only to find it is my story. That's right some kind, wonderful person has spread the word to their followers about my little fic. Long story short, Gleeks are amazing, #Puckleberry shippers are amazing and I just wanted to thank gleefansorg for making my day :)**

**Sorry for the long note guys, hope you'll let me know what you think of the chapter ~Carrie**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. My thanks as always to those who continue to read/review and follow this story.**

**As ever I am very grateful to my wonderful beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx for all her editing magic :)**

There are some things that a person should never have to see, never have to experience, and, as she sat numbly on a plastic chair in the waiting room of Lima Memorial Hospital, Emma Pillsbury couldn't help but wish she had the power to change the past. It was the only way, she thought, that the events of the previous twelve hours could have been prevented. Acknowledging the futility of such thoughts, that they were of no help to anyone right then, Emma searched through the jumble of information she had been given, searching for something, anything to focus on rather than the heartbreaking scenes going on around her.

The day had begun so positively, which may have been a warning sign, but she had been so happy to have full access to the gleeks again. Sergeant Angelo had called as she was preparing to leave for work, informing the guidance counsellor that, as her students had all made their official statements, there were no further impediments to prevent communication. After thanking the sergeant, Emma had called Sue, and between them they had worked out a schedule so that at least one of them would be available at any time to the school-bound gleeks.

On her arrival at McKinley, Principal Figgins had been relieved to see Emma; there had been a small amount of gossip about the club's absence that he wanted to halt, but was at a loss as to how this might be achieved. Emma had assured him that she and Sue were on high alert and had prepared a cover story, and he just needed to trust them. Perhaps she should have been more honest with the principal, given him a chance to seek the shelter of his office, but there was a small part of her that had enjoyed his horrified reaction to the show that had been put on for the school population.

"_Lopez, I'm talking to you. Don't you dare walk away from me." The angry shout of Sue Sylvester drew the entire attention of the crowded hallways to the cheerleading coach and her former star. _

"_Or what? I quit, remember? Deal with it." Santana responded, her words laced with scorn. _

"_Like I care about a small technicality like that, Boobs McGee! You can't honestly think that you'd get away with your crazy challenge to my authority," Sue retorted._

"_Face facts, Sue. Your reign is over." There was silence in the crowded corridor and, as students and teaching staff were caught up by the power struggle, waiting to see who would emerge victorious, no one noticed the group of glee club members making their way to the choir room. Santana and Sue continued to trade insults for another few minutes with no intervention from any of the spectators, until Emma had stepped forward. _

"_Choir room, now. It is time this insane rivalry is settled before someone gets hurt."_

_Even though Santana knew this was all part of the script, she was all too aware of the fact that someone had been hurt and so she missed her next line. Luckily, Sue had kept a close eye on her co-conspirator, and she was quick to jump in._

_"Oh pull yourself together, Lopez." The double meaning of her words did not go unnoticed. _

"_Get over it, Sue or I'll have Ms Pillsbury make you..." The bickering continued, but as they were moving towards Glee headquarters, no one knew what Santana had threatened Sue with. Santana was just glad to have made it to the room without being stopped or questioned, and as soon as the door was closed behind her, she felt her knees give way as she slid to the floor. _

"_San?" Brittany was beside her in an instant, concern plain to see on her face. _

"_I'll be okay, B, I just need a sec." Santana tried to convince her friend, having noticed something different in the girl's behaviour. There was an unusual gleam in her eye, an emotion she knew didn't belong there and it was worrying her. The last thing any of them wanted was for Brittany to lose herself; they had already come too close to losing Rachel. Pushing herself to her feet, Santana enveloped Brittany __into a tight hug, only letting go when she heard a small sound of protest and caught the puzzled look in Britt's eye. _

_Linking pinkies, the girls took seats close to where Artie and Mike were setting up what appeared to be a super computer. Emma noted this interaction with concern but, not wanting to spook Brittany, she waited a few minutes before asking the girl for some help in her office. Santana's reaction to this request revealed her own troubled thoughts, not the least of them the idea of being separated from Brittany. However, the blonde just whispered in her friend's ear and followed after Emma with a bounce in her step. _

"You do know that Brittany has a mind of her own? That nothing you could have said to her would have changed her plans?" Emma found herself back in the present, not sure how long Artie had been by her side. "How many times have you told us that 'what ifs' get you nowhere?"

"I guess it's easier telling someone else rather than believing it myself right now," Emma replied. Artie nodded his head, understanding his teacher's feelings. After all, he too had been involved and, no matter his good intentions, they were still in this room, waiting for news, waiting to know if... At a loss for words, he could only think back to the moment that the alarm on his laptop had sounded, setting things in motion.

"_What is that awful racket?" Sue asked, a bit more harshly than she had intended. At Artie's look of dismay, she had apologised swiftly. "No offence, Wheels, this room is filled with the latent fumes from that man's hair gel. It appears to have messed with my head." _

"_It's from Jacob's blog. He must be trying to access something. The police team need to see this. Can you bring me?" In answer, Sue just produced the keys to her car. _

"_Whenever you're ready; I'm going too." Brittany was back and, before either Sue or Artie could speak, she had grabbed the laptop bag and was heading out the door. As if he could hear her before she spoke, Artie acknowledged Santana. "We'll keep her safe. You're on Puckleberry duty," he said swiftly before he followed his __former girlfriend. _

_The journey to the station had passed in silence once Sue had called ahead to let the investigation team know they were on the way. Each of the three occupants in the car was lost in their thoughts until they arrived at their destination. "Britt, I'm not sure what you are planning, but I'm in," Sue said quietly, not wanting to fight with her. _

"_Me too," Artie confirmed, and both he and Sue were rewarded with a smile from Brittany. _

"_Artie, I need you to concentrate on your computer magic. Sue and I have some business to take care of, and then we'll join you. Hopefully we won't be too long." Given the slightly crazed look of determination on her face, Artie had no doubts that she would be successful on her mission. Another alert had the trio making their way quickly into the station, and if Sergeant Angelo was surprised by Brittany's request for a private meeting, Artie thought he hid it well. _

_They had gone separate ways then, and for the next hour he and Detective Oliver had been working with a very sullen Jacob Bin Israel. They had tore down his website and disabled all but the last of the hidden cameras. On that matter Jacob remained silent after telling them that it was more than his life was worth to reveal the location of the final camera. Artie had laughed at this touch of dramatics but there seemed no threat issue by Mr Ben Israel to his son, no legal charge that would move Jacob to say anything further. _

_They had reached deadlock until Artie had tried one last time, "I thought you loved Rachel? That you would do anything for her? We need to know, Jacob." Silence greeted his words. "What are you so afraid of?" _

"_Not 'what'," the boy suddenly said, "'Who'. He'll kill me if he ever finds out. I'm safer if you lock me up." A horrible thought struck Artie that he tried to discount as being to evil but reconsidered when he replayed all that had happened. _

"_Not if he is in the same cell as you, Jacob." Detective Oliver was quick on the uptake, but Jacob just seemed puzzled by this comment. _

"_He'd never let himself be caught or separated from her. I should have listened to him, but I just thought he was all talk." _

"_Jacob, who are you talking about?" Artie found himself asking; perhaps his earlier suspicion had been wrong, but then again, maybe not. _

"_Why, my biggest rival to the heart of my one true love." _

_Just as Detective Oliver was about to question Jacob further, the door was flung open and the stalker found himself under attack from a crazed former cheerleader. In the background, amid the chaos, Artie swore he heard the faint sound of a car been driven off at full speed. _

Being able to look back on that moment now, and with the benefit of hindsight, Artie realised he should have wondered sooner about who was behind the wheel of the speeding car, the shrieking of gears a big clue that whoever it was had never driven a manual car before. Of course, at the time he was trapped in a confined space watching as Jacob lost clumps of his 'fro'.

"It's nice to see a smile in this room, or should I say a grin?" Sue addressed Artie as she sat in the vacant seat Emma had left.

"I've always wondered about the rumours of your Cheerio fight club," he remarked casually, although Jacob's bald spots would suggest it was not just an urban myth.

"All my girls know how to protect themselves when faced with an enemy." Sue paused before adding, "Although, of course, in the circumstances, I think it was more a catfight situation. Jacob's fault entirely, saying what he did."

"Honestly, you would think he would know better than to goad Santana." Mike had wandered over to join his friend and their new mentor.

"I'm just amazed that the boy didn't soil himself on the spot when Puckerman's name was mentioned," Sue said with no sympathy at all for Jacob. "Another fool to add to an ever growing list."

"Not a great day for the male species, to be sure," Mike agreed. "Not with those three running around causing harm at every possible opportunity. At least we finally have some understanding of what was going on in the head of our former club director." Mike addressed his last comment to Sue, hoping that she would fill in even a few of the details he and the gleeks were missing.

"Oh, that was all Brittany," Sue replied, not taking any credit for the information that Brittany had managed to drag out of a very unhappy Mr Schuester. "I only tagged along to keep an eye on her, make sure that she didn't do anything she'd regret." Both boys, who had especially close ties with the blonde, were thankful for Sue's dedication to the girl, for caring about her as much as they did, while still allowing her the chance to deal with the wayward Mr Schuester.

"Admit it, you enjoyed watching Schue getting a full scale Brittany intervention," Artie said.

"There was nothing wrong with her methods, that's for sure. I was convinced at one point that she would scare the curls right of his head," she replied with a smirk, replaying the moment when Brittany had walked into the room where Will and his sour-faced lawyer sat.

"_What is the meaning of this?" Ms Scott demanded, fixing Brittany and Sue with a scathing look as she walked towards them. _

"_If you really want to help your client, then sit down and stay quiet," Sue snapped back at her. Sergeant Angelo, who was also in the room, just took a seat in the corner, beckoned Ms Scott to him and quickly told her that this really was in Will's best interests. With a reluctant sigh and a promise that nothing said could be used against her client, she turned around and watched in fascination as he engaged in silent staring competition with his former student. Clearly not happy with what she saw in his eyes, Brittany clicked her fingers impatiently in front of Will. _

"_Oh, pull yourself together, Schue. I don't have all day." The cold tone of her words __seemed to get his attention. _

_"How dare..." he began, only for Britt to cut him off completely. _

_"Not this time, Schue. You are going to listen to what I have to say. You are going to make the decision to either grow up or to get sucked further into your delusions. Either way, I don't care, but you won't interrupt unless you have something intelligent to say. And, based on the evidence of the past week, I expect you'll be silent. Nod your head if you understand." Sue watched as Schue fought his need to speak out, but, whether it was the unfamiliar look on Brittany's face or her words, __he agreed to her terms. "If this wasn't so important I'd joke about how well trained you are already, but I'll leave that to Coach S, who, as you know, has the best set downs." If she hadn't seen the slight wink, Sue might have spoken out, but a small gasp from Will's lawyer drew her attention. _

"_I'd stay out of it if I were you," Sergeant Angelo advised, though, really, he would have enjoyed seeing Brittany educate the odious Ms Scott; he knew they were already walking a fine line legally-speaking. At any minute, the lawyer could begin to think more clearly and kick them all out, so he needed to ensure that Brittany had enough time with Will. _

"_Do you know, Mr Schue, that I spent most of last night planning my words? Trying __to think of how to get through to you, how I could threaten you into helping us. It just gave me a headache, so, in the end, I decided I just don't care." Will was surprised, not sure what Brittany was talking about. "After everything that you've done, or not done in this case, I realised that your feelings don't matter. Even now, after all that Mercy, Q and Tina said to you yesterday evening, you're still sure that Rachel has brainwashed them, is just using us to hurt poor Finn. Am I right?" Will nodded his head, showing his agreement to her last question. Brittany continued on, sounding as though she was bored with the whole conversation. "Just as I thought. I mean, how could I convince you of the truth? Sure, I could show you pictures of Rachel's bruises or show you the handprints that are just fading from __her tights; handprints that match Finn's. You'd just say that it was fix, fabricated or photoshopped, wouldn't you? How about a video of last Friday in the locker room? Would that footage change your mind?" At the mention of a video, Will seemed about to speak, but Brittany ignored him. "Dream on, Schue. As if I would let you invade Ray's privacy like that, let you see her at her most vulnerable, most exposed, only for you to say that it must have been consensual because Finn can still do no wrong." _

_With every word, the normally bubbly, friendly, fun-loving girl grew older, distant and cynical. "You know, I still don't understand why you are so obsessed with 's not even in to top five of male singers in the club, so it's not as if he could ever make it out of Lima. You should have hero-worshipped Mike, Kurt, Sam, Artie or Noah, but you never saw beyond Puck, right? Never saw how your perfect, precious Finn took advantage of Puck to keep Noah out of the way. Is that why you hate him? Because he will make it out and never look back? He's more talented than you could ever dream of be. That's why, deep down, you knew at Nationals last year that Finn had stolen his song." The bitter gleam in Will's eyes betrayed the fact that Brittany had found the source of some of the man's hatred. _

"_You're allowing your jealousy of a student who you have ignored as much as possible cloud your mind, thus preventing a traumatised girl from getting justice." Sue had been unable to contain her disgust. _

"_Like you don't live through your Cheerios," Will snapped back. "You're all about how many titles you've won, and yet you're still here in Lima. Just as much as I am, as much as that Lima loser will be." _

"_You had better learn to pay better attention to those around you, William," Sue spoke quietly. "Britt, I know how much you want to hurt him, but he is not worth it, okay? You are better than he is. Show him how you have been paying attention all this time." She was relieved to see Brittany relax her fists and prepare for the final stage of the confrontation. _

_Taking a deep breath, she addressed Mr Schue, "I hate that you won't get the punishment you deserve, but, as we all know that Finn is lying, it seems like you won't go to jail. Although, if you even think of going near to Rachel, Noah or any of my friends again, Daddy and Mr B will have you locked up so quickly that you won't have time to open your offensive mouth again. Coach S and Ms P are helping me ensure you lose your teaching license so that you can never inflict your twisted thoughts on any other students who might have mistakenly placed their trust in you. There will be no other choice for you except to watch from the shadows as, under the care of our new co-directors, glee club win Nationals, before sending Rachel and Noah safely on their way to New York." She paused, not appreciating Will's laugh at her last words. _

"_He'll be living off her, while whoring his way around the city before knocking herup, if she's not already having his child, the desperate slut." _

_This time, not even Sue could have prevented the teacher from receiving the stinging slap, delivered by a furious Brittany. _

"_Let me guess." She could barely speak due to her rage. "You think he slept with Terri, is that it? So, as well as having enough talent to have the life you want, you think he seduced your oh-so willing and insane wife. Was this around the same time you were flirting with Ms P? Allowing Coach Tanaka to have his feelings stamped all over? You should be proud, sir; you did teach Finn, or at least show him, that it was acceptable to act as he did. After all, that is what a good role __model does." _

_Moving away from Will, Brittany turned to Sue. "I'd like to leave now; wash the smell of pathetic, jealous loser off of me. If only Rach was a bit better, then she might sing for me." Brittany's sense of sadness cloaked the room, almost breaking Sue's heart, but the girl seemed to recover enough to turn and address Mr Schuester again. "Rachel will sing again. She will be happy, but most importantly, she will be safe, from you and from Finn. I'd wish you well for the future but I never tell lies." With that, she walked out of the room, away from the man she never wanted to see, ignoring his calls to come back and listen to his side of the story. She did not miss Sue's response _

"_Too late, Schue; if there was anyone who could turn things around for you it was that girl. If you manage to stay out of prison I'd advise you to watch your back because you have made some very dangerous enemies in the glee club." Then Sue left to find Brittany, knowing that Will would never know how much hurt he had caused, or care, for that matter. _

_She and Brittany went to observe the interview with Jacob, both tired by their meeting with Will, and so they remained quiet, each lost in their thoughts until a flickering red light caught Brittany's attention. _

"_What's that for?" she asked Sue, but it was Detective James who told her about the hidden cameras and how they were trying to identify the location since Jacob wouldn't tell them. Looking carefully at the grainy black-and-white image, Sue hadn't recognised the location, but from Brittany's reaction it was clear the girl did, or at least thought she did. Watching Brittany closely as she was, Sue saw the instant that fear crossed her face, but not its cause. Neither did she get the chance to ask, for Brittany had grabbed the keys to Sue's car and raced out of the room. As Sue rushed to go with her, she had run into a very irritate Santana, and, from the look on her face, Sue knew she had to stay or whoever the Latino girl's target was would suffer more than was necessary._

As Sue came back to the present, she made a mental note to make driving lessons mandatory for all of her Cheerios, although her car was a small price to pay in the grander scheme of things. At least Brittany had reached her destination in one piece and had been able to sound a warning that Sue, with a struggling Santana in her arms, had been unable to make.

"Sorry I got Jacob's 'fro' all over you, Coach." Santana took a seat next to Sue, plucking at some remaining strands of ginger hair that marred Sue's normally pristine tracksuit.

"How is our girl doing?" Sue asked, hoping the fact that Santana was here beside her was a good sign.

"Awake. Demanding to be brought to see them." A sad smile graced her face, "Even now, she won't give up on her happy ending."

"That's good, though, San, it shows that she still is our Brittany, that her actions today - speaking with Will, her rescue mission - were worth the risk."

"I should be happy that she's awake and, given how I arrived at the station like I did, I can't blame her for acting first. It's just that..."

"That you wish she hadn't had to do any of it in the first place," Sue finished Santana's sentence. "Who is with her now?"

"Well, when she was told by Daddy B to stay in bed or else, she agreed on the condition that Mike, Artie and Sam were brought to her," Santana said.

"The fact that Hiram left Rachel's room to see Britt is another positive sign. And it does sound like Britt's on the mend, if she has some kind of discussion planned."

"Exactly; it even got Q to take a break from guarding Rach so she could try and save Sam!" Santana tried to answer in a light tone but Sue noticed how the girl's voice shook slightly, so she continued to try and refocus her train of thoughts.

"So, I've yet to hear just why you decided to use Jacob as a source for your new weave? I thought you had learnt patience from Lauren's training?" Sue asked

"Yes, well, I think I failed that part of the course. It was just when Mike told me what Jacob had done, how he'd been asked to stop, it felt like Rach was being violated again. That, in spite of Artie's efforts, footage might get onto the web. I knew that if that did happen and Noah found out, then he'd go after Jacob, have his parole revoked and it would end his future."

"Well, we can't have that after everything he's had to put up with, including Schue. You were right to try and protect both of your friends, Santana. It's what I've been trying to teach you," Sue spoke earnestly. Some of Will's earlier remarks had upset her more than she would like to admit. Yes, to a casual observer the Cheerios were bitchy, insecure girls who could perform complex routines, but her aim had always been to give her girls confidence, to teach them to be the best they could be in all aspects of their lives and that aiming for the top was nothing to be ashamed of, if you took your team with you.

"You taught us well, Coach. You took the time to get to know us. People might not understand your teaching methods all the time, and I can only speak for myself, but I will never be sorry to have learnt from you." Sue was genuinely touched by the almost sentimental words spoken by Santana.

"When all this is settled, I would really love to have the three of you back on the squad. You don't have to think about it now; we'll talk about it later."

Santana offered the coach a smile before glancing around the room, trying to assess how they were doing. "Will we ever stop blaming each other?" she asked, troubled by the sight of those she cared about being so weary looking.

"If we ever want to fully move on, we will have to. Don't you worry; when Ms Berry is ready she'll whip us all into shape." Santana wanted to believe Sue's words.

"It's still so uncertain though."

"Just focus on the role you played and how you helped." Sue advised.

_The sound of a door bouncing off the wall was loud and jarring, and no one had any time to react as Santana launched herself at Jacob, almost colliding with Artie in the process. _

_"He sent me, Jacob. He wants the truth or he will be forced to ask you in person." Santana had a firm grip of Jacob's hair to keep him in one place, the hidden meaning of her message not lost on the boy. _

"_But he'll kill me," Jacob wailed. _

"_I. Don't. Care," Santana announced. "If you don't start talking to me, there won't __be much left for him to find." As if to emphasise her point, she backed Jacob into the corner of the room, a menacing grin on her face. Showing the now-petrified boy her phone, Santana scrolled through her contacts list before bringing the screen to Jacob's eyes, 'Puck' plain to see. "Last chance, Ben Israel. Tell me what I want to know or I will make the call." _

_Jacob paled further, his white complexion making his hair stand out more. He muttered something under his breath. _

_"Seriously, Jacob, you don't want to want to mess with Santana right now." Artie thought perhaps he could play good cop, but he was not hopeful for the boy in front of him; there was no way this was staying a secret. _

"_I said it's in Rachel's house." Jacob's statement silenced the room. _

"_But we searched the house," Detective Oliver said perplexed. _

"_I told you not to lie." The sound of hair being ripped echoed about the room. _

"_No, no, I swear it's in her house. I can prove it." _

"_Where exactly is it?" the detective asked, his concern reflected on the faces of Artie and Santana. _

"_In the basement dance studio." _

"_The what?" Santana asked. _

"_When?" Artie asked at the same time. _

"_I'm not saying anything more," Jacob declared but, before Santana could use her unique brand of interview skills, Artie spoke. _

"_There is a bit of a good news bad news situation," he began quickly. "Jacob is telling the truth about the camera, but..." _

"_But what?" Santana snapped, but Artie just pushed his laptop over so that both she and Detective Oliver could see what he had, all freezing at the sound of an all-familiar drawl._

"Is it stuck in your head as well, Coach?" Santana asked, a shiver running through her as she tried to let go of that particularly chilling memory. Sue just nodded. She had finally understood why Brittany had left without any explanation, wishing she had gone with her. Sue was still unable to let go of the horror she had felt on hearing the threat that had gone unspoken in the seemingly causal greeting.

"_Hello Rachel. Did you miss me?"_

**A.N. Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter but who I can't PM. 'Vanessaray', 'KarenM', 'On-Eno' and 'VampireGoth28', thank you for taking the time to get in touch, and please feel free to send me a message if you want to discuss a chapter further.**

**As usual I eagerly await your reviews, thoughts and suggestions for this chapter, virtual cookies for you all I think ;) Thanks for reading ~Carrie**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. XXLitte Rose AngelXx , you are an awesome beta. Thanks for all your help, editing skills and advice.**

**To all those who read/follow and review I say thank you for your support.**

**Warning: This chapter deals in parts with scenes of a sensitive and slightly violent nature. They are not overly graphic but may act as a trigger or distress readers. If you have any concerns, or don't wish to read this particualar chapter, please feel free to contact me and I will provide you with an outline of the events that take place. **

It had begun as an average day at Lima Memorial. The ER was quiet and Sarah Puckerman was using the time to get some paperwork done. She was so proud of Noah and how hard he had been working since getting out of Juvie - the bursary forms she was reading were proof of that. Her Noah, shortlisted for early acceptance to one of the most prestigious schools in the country; it was beyond her wildest dreams.

The emergency dispatcher's voice broke through the silence into the staff room that doubled as her office. She too had finally been rewarded for her long hours at work, having recently earned a promotion to nursing supervisor of the ER. As she rushed to prepare the team for the incoming ambulances, the address of the incident caught Sarah's attention, and she grabbed the radio comm.

"Dispatch, this is Memorial. Please repeat last."

"Memorial, please be advised; four critical, two stable, on route from 627 Mayfield Road. Approximately five minutes out. Over."

Sarah was silent, a tendril of fear latched onto her spine. She hadn't misheard the address. The call was from the Berry home, where Noah had spent the last few days, where she herself had called to check on Rachel, to offer the girl a shoulder to cry on if needed. The radio comm. was taken from her hand by Dr Lopez, Santana's mother. She had received a frantic call from her daughter.

"Sarah, what is going on? San could hardly speak."

"I'm sorry, Maribel, we just got the call. I only know we are expecting six patients. Noah was there. He's hurt. I know he is." Both mothers looked at each other, not knowing what to say to comfort the other.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Maribel spoke, the siren of the first ambulance announcing its arrival at the hospital.

It had been all hands on deck for the next hour, the two parents on duty pushing aside their fears, concentrating only on helping to treat the wounded. Sarah had been called on to sign a consent form almost immediately as Noah need surgery without delay, but she had insisted on being kept busy, unable to sit around idly. Now it was a case of waiting for her son to wake up, to see if the surgery had been enough.

"Noah is a hero, Sarah." Quinn appeared from nowhere, two cups of tea in her hands, which she placed on the table in front of Sarah. Their relationship was much improved since the time Quinn had spent in the Puckerman house during her pregnancy.

"Hero or not, I want him to open his eyes so I can give him a piece of his mind. What was he thinking?" Sarah asked, although she had heard snippets of conversation that allowed her to fit the puzzle together for herself.

"You should know, in the basement he made us promise to look after you and Becs. He wanted you to know how sorry he was for ever making you angry, but he couldn't just sit there and watch as Finn, as Finn..." Berating herself mentally, Quinn tried her best to regain her composure, but she couldn't suppress the images that kept replaying.

"It's okay, Quinn, you're safe. He can never hurt any of you again. Sit here with me until Rachel gets here."

Quinn allowed herself to be embraced by Sarah, to be pulled into a seat and the two drank their tea in silence, the sound of monitors filling the void left.

"_Good morning, everyone." Quinn had not been sure what to expect at the Berry house that day. Following Rachel's reaction to Mr Schue's unwelcomed visit the previous evening, she had thought to find the house quiet. Instead, Brittany and Blaine were putting the finishing touches to another feast, while Santana and Hiram set the table. Kurt was talking to someone on the phone - his dad the most likely candidate, Quinn thought - and her greeting had called the remaining occupants of the house to the kitchen. Noah and Rachel were still dressed in their __nightclothes, though Leroy looked as if he was dressed for work which surprised Quinn. _

"_Morning, Q," Brittany spoke cheerfully. "You're just in time to eat." _

"_Thanks, B. Couldn't sleep?" Quinn replied. "Or did you somehow find Mr B's secret stash of skittles?" she added. Leroy looked slightly guilty at Quinn's remark. _

"_Dad, you promised to give them up, or at hide them better after the last time." Rachel giggled to herself, a sound that made everyone in the room happy. _

"_No skittles could be found, Rach. Your dad is clean." Brittany told her friend, winking at Leroy as she pointed to the drawer where his supply was kept. Sue arrived after breakfast to collect Brittany and Santana for school, while dropping Sam off to the Berries. He, Blaine and Noah were hoping to keep their other halves in good spirits instead of worrying about being separated from the rest of the __school bound gleeks. _

_While helping Rachel with her morning routine, Quinn had taken the opportunity to speak with her friend about something that had been bothering her. "Rach, I was hoping we could talk about… well, about Finn," she said hesitantly. "It's just that, well, I never realised how much power he had over me, had over both of us. And I know it can never excuse how I treated you but I just wanted to say sorry." _

_Rachel could see how upset Quinn was and, while Finn was not a topic she liked to speak about, she was aware that they could no longer avoid the subject, difficult though it was. "Talking helps, Quinn. I know it's not easy, but maybe together we can help each other. I mean, if you want to." She raised her tone at the end of her last sentence, making it sound more like an uncertain question. _

"_I'd really like that, Rach, but only if you're sure. It's selfish of me, I know, to want to discuss this, especially after everything I've put you through. But yet you're still willing to try and help." _

"_Quinn, we can't change what's happened, and yes, you weren't always nice to me, but I really want to be able to put that behind us." _

_Seeing the sincere smile on Rachel's face, Quinn took a breath before speaking. "Growing up, I watched my parents - how my dad tried to control everything my mom did, how she drank to hide her pain - and I swore I would never be like her, never let my happiness be dependent on someone else's approval. What a success that turned out to be." She realised only after it was out how bitter her tone was, and she dropped her gaze, quickly adding, "Ignore me; I'm just feeling sorry for myself now." _

"_Q, stop it. I think that Finn chose us because he knew we were, I don't know, easy prey." Rachel paused, and Quinn recognised the look on her face; it was the same one she got when thinking about the past, about Finn's behaviour. "I think that maybe we've been looking at this all wrong, blaming Finn for everything." As Quinn went to interrupt, Rachel rushed to speak. "No, I'm serious. Don't think for one second that I'm saying that he isn't guilty, because he is. But so are we. Dr Smyth told me to be honest with myself, to accept that the recovery process won't always make sense. Just think about it, how we've blamed Mr Schue for still being blind to Finn." _

"_Rach, I don't understand. This was a bad idea, we should just drop it, leave it for another time," Quinn said, her confusion clear._

"_No, Q." Rachel was adamant. "Dr Smyth said to trust the process, trust that my head would help put the pieces together. Like in this case only you could have helped me see what I've missed before." She paused for a second. "Quinn, I'm sorry for chasing Finn when you were dating him. No, listen to me, please. Deep down, I knew that I wanted to hurt you like you had hurt me with the name calling and the comments on my 'MySpace' page. Even though I knew it was wrong, some small part of me was happy to see you so uncertain, when really I should have asked myself why you were acting the way you were." Again, Rachel paused, overwhelmed by her realisation. "All this time, Finn though that he was playing two desperate girls off of each other, but at the start he misunderstood at least part of my reasoning. Does any of this make sense to you?" _

Now, as she watched over her friend, Quinn finally understood what Rachel had been trying to say. Both girls had let their own unhappiness allow them to be caught in Finn's web of manipulation, until all of their original feelings became completely entangled so that the people they truly cared about had become as trapped as they were. If only Rachel would wake up so that Quinn could tell her how her revelation had freed her from her own torment, had given her the courage to speak properly with Sam about Junior Year - something she had been too afraid to address since getting back together with him.

"Even in their sleep they keep trying to get back to each other." Sam's voice was quiet in her ear. He had finally convinced Brittany to let him go sit with his girlfriend, had made her see why he and the other boys had kept the hidden cameras a secret. Now, with strict instructions to inform her of the instant Puckleberry woke, Sam took a seat next to the girl who, for better or worse, had changed his whole life.

"How's your shoulder?" Quinn asked him as she lightly ran her fingers over his torso until she reached the sling Sam wore.

"Better since they pushed it back into place. Plus, pain meds are awesome," he quipped with the cheesy grin on his face that Quinn delighted in seeing.

"We had the strangest conversation before… well, before everything went crazy, about accepting responsibility for ourselves and acknowledging wrong doings that it would be simpler to pass off as someone else's fault." Quinn announced suddenly, her eyes darting towards Rachel for a moment before looking at her boyfriend again.

"That's a weird topic to be discussing while drying someone's hair," Sam said, not really sure how to respond to what Quinn was saying.

"Well, originally I was trying to explain how I still felt it difficult to accept that I'm a victim of Finn's, but Rach had some kind of breakthrough that she was convinced changed things."

"That does sound like her or, at least, the old her," Sam clarified. "But that's a good sign - that she's talking voluntarily about anything to do with Finn."

"She did try and make me see things from Schue's point of view, but what really struck me was how I had treated you last year, when I cheated." Quinn's voice grew softer still.

"Quinn, that is all in the past." Sam rushed to speak. The memories from that time were not happy ones, and he had no wish to revisit that time just then.

"No, Sam; I never apologised properly. You are too much of a gentleman to ever say it to me, but I have never truly admitted that I was just as much at fault as Finn." There could be no doubting the sadness in Quinn's voice as she struggled to correct her mistake.

"He manipulated you," Sam started.

"Yes, but somewhere deep down I let him use me because I felt special again, because the two of you wanted to be with me. If I really wanted to get back with Finn, or the minute I had any doubts, like immediately after Finn and I kissed, I should have told you. It would have prevented us all so much pain, you especially. You didn't deserve to be dragged into all our drama. Rachel kissed Noah, so Finn kissed me to prove a point to her, and I let him." Quinn, unable to look at Sam, tried to gauge his reaction to her confession from the sound of his breathing.

"Quinn," Sam whispered.

"No, let me say this, please," Quinn tilted her head, looking Sam directly in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Sam, for what happened then and also for not being strong enough that I made you keep our relationship a secret. I am not ashamed to be with you, Sam Evans."

Sam didn't say a word. Instead, he pulled Quinn carefully to her feet and out the door to the hallway.

"What?" Quinn began to ask, only to be silenced as Sam placed a tender kiss on her lips. The intensity of the kiss increased for a few minutes before air became necessary.

"I accept your apology, Q, and just in case you were in any doubt," Sam pulled her back into an equally as passionate embrace that drew whistles from some passers-by, including an amused-looking Blaine.

"Well, it's about time we got some Fabraevans PDA" he said.

"Some what?" Sam asked, puzzled.

"It's Britt's name for you. She's going to trademark them all, or at least that was her plan earlier in the summer," Blaine replied. The three friends re-entered the room where Noah and Rachel lay side by side, both still sleeping.

"How is Kurt? And his dad?" Sam asked Blaine.

"Both are awake. Kurt is having some final checks; they think he has a mild concussion, but no broken bones, thankfully," he replied before adding, "What about you?"

"The sling is just a precaution; like Kurt, nothing broken. Burt is going to be alright, isn't he?" All the gleeks were attached to Mr Hummel and knew how much Kurt relied on his dad.

"The news is good; all tests show that there was no heart attack. The pain was from the stress of the situation, combined with everything that has happened this week. He'll be kept in tonight for observation, but that's just routine."

"I can't imagine he was too impressed by that," Quinn remarked.

Blaine's earlier amusement was forgotten as he replied, "Burt is in a room next to where Carole's keeping vigil and Kurt is going between both rooms."

"He'll wear himself out if he's not careful," Sam said.

"It's the guilt he's feeling. As if he had anything to do with that idiotic brother of his." Blaine's anger towards Finn was unmistakeable

"A hostage has nothing to feel guilty about," Sam stated emphatically.

"He says he should have known the message wasn't from his dad," Blaine told them.

"But you were there, both of you. Can't you convince him that his guilt is misplaced?" Quinn asked. "I mean, we only came downstairs…"

"Because Kurt asked you to," Blaine finished.

"I hate this, hate knowing that we're tearing ourselves apart all over again because of Finn." Quinn's voice rose in her agitation and Sam did his best to calm her, and she took a deep breath. "When did you know?" At the boys puzzled looks, Quinn added, "That something was wrong? What gave it away?"

"_Have any of you seen Kurt?" Blaine asked as he joined Sam and Noah in the sitting room. The boys were working on a school assignment that Sam was having trouble with. _

"_Not for a few minutes. I think his dad called him," Noah answered absentmindedly. "You study Robert Frost at Dalton yet?" _

_Blaine took a seat beside them, and a few minutes passed as the boys debated the merits of the poetry that Sam was trying to study. _

"_Noah?" Kurt's voice broke through the conversation. "Do you think you could help me for a few minutes? I'm organising a surprise for Rachel. But if you're too busy that's okay." _

_Noah smiled at Kurt's theatrics, walking into the kitchen where he thought his friend was. "Just admit it, Hummel: you need the guns. I won't tell Blaine! Now, where are you hiding yourself?" he asked, seeing that the room was empty. "Don't tell me that you're down in the studio. What about your fear of all those mirrors?" Noah teased, remembering how Kurt swore that the room made him look 30 pounds overweight. _

"_I'd do anything for Rachel. You know that, Noah," Kurt called back, though with a slight edge to his voice. Wondering why the boy hadn't turned on the lights, Noah __made his way downstairs, and was briefly disorientated by a strange flash of silver that caused him to miss the last two steps. "Kurt can you hit the lights?" Silence. "Kurt?" This was followed by a squeak, and Noah looked around for the source. "C'mon, Kurt, the mirror is just lying to you." As the continued silence was beginning to worry him, Noah took out his phone, but before he could use the screen to illuminate the room, his head was struck from the side and he crumpled, unconscious, to the floor. _

"It was only when Kurt called for Rachel that something seemed off. Noah wasn't back and now Rach was going to help get a surprise ready for him," Sam explained to his girlfriend.

"And then before we could say anything, you were both through the door, the lock was turned and you screamed," Blaine finished recounting what he and Sam knew. "He had a knife. Must have brought it from his kitchen or maybe from the Berries, not that that's terribly important right now - where he got the knife I mean. We were half way down the stairs before we actually noticed it. Finn was crazed and had a weapon, so yes, we screamed," Quinn said, more to herself than either of the boys.

"Quinn." Judy Fabray appeared before her daughter, wrapping her into a hug, Leroy and Hiram close by. Quinn broke down, all the emotions that she had been bottling up came spilling out as her mother continued to hold her, finally moving Quinn out of the room and sitting her in a chair.

"Quinn, have you been examined by a doctor or nurse since you arrived?" Hiram asked her gently, worried that the girl was going into delayed shock.

"Sarah and Maribel both check me. They said to tell someone if I felt unwell. I just feel so sad and also very angry. I mean, aside from shouting at me a few times, Finn practically ignored me."

"Then how did you get those bruises?" Hiram kept his voice soft, not wanting to upset her further.

"I took the key, before he could. It was all part of our contingency plan. Britt and Noah's brainwave. Never let yourself get trapped. Ironic don't you think?" Quinn's voice was growing louder. "I ran back up the stairs, I couldn't risk unlocking the door, not with the knife, but somehow I managed to knock the key free so Finn couldn't use it." Leroy tried to reassure Quinn as best he could; he too seeing the signs that the day's events were sinking in fully. "Please," she whispered, "I just need to know if I could have done something else to help. If I left the key where it was and went straight to Kurt and Noah? But I couldn't do that, couldn't leave Rachel, on those steps by herself with that monster. How was I meant to choose and why am I so fixated on the damn key?" The last part of her question was addressed to Hiram but he had no answers that would ease her weary mind just then.

"If I had even the smallest fraction of your courage, Q, then all this would never have happened," Kurt spat out, his self loathing plain.

"Don't ever say that." Quinn rushed to her feet, pulling Kurt tight to her. "You had no choice; you kept Noah here, alive." The pair spoke over one another, trying to assure the other that they were blameless, their words becoming a jumbled mess, until silence fell. For a few moments no one spoke, and then Kurt gave Quinn a final hug, stepped away from her and sat on the floor.

"I should have known. The wording of the message was weird, but I just thought that Dad was in a hurry," Kurt began. "When he didn't answer my call, I should have told someone, but instead I went to the basement by myself while trying the house phone. It was so easy to become trapped." Kurt shook slightly, hearing again the echo of his steps on the stairs, the crunch of glass beneath his feet, the clammy hand that covered his mouth, the cool metal of the knife at his throat.

"_So glad to see you, brother dearest," Finn drawled. "Please don't struggle. Red is __not your colour." He pressed the knife a little closer to Kurt's skin. "This will be over soon, so long as you cooperate. If you scream or do anything to alert your little Scooby gang then I'll have no choice but to make myself an only child again." Sensing Kurt's defeat, Finn removed his hand from his brother's mouth, but kept the knife where it was. "First things first, I want you to get Puck here. Can't have him missing the fun." _

"_Why can't you just leave us all alone?" Kurt asked, trying to stall and hoping that someone would notice that he was missing. _

"_Oh, I will be leaving soon, once I get Rachel back. Then we'll both say goodbye to this place and never return. Now, enough of this chit-chat. Call Puck now, and don't try and be brave. That means no warnings, or else." The blade of the knife was now pressing into Kurt's back as Finn manoeuvred the shaking boy to the __bottom of the stairs. A short time later, he could only watch in horror as Finn knocked Noah unconscious, bound his hands and feet, before he was forced to help drag the boy to a waiting chair. Once Finn was sure that Noah was unable to escape, he ordered Kurt to get Rachel. _

"_You're such a coward, Finn. Rachel made her choice and it wasn't you. Move on, please, for your own sake. This can't end well, you know that," Kurt pleaded. _

"_Don't try and be brave now, little brother. Just think about how good old Burt will feel if he were to lose you, and all because you couldn't resist playing the hero," Finn taunted. "You know, you really should be on my side. With Rachel gone, you'll be the star of the glee club, no more fighting for solos. Do as I say or I'll start __slicing young Puck here while I wait." And to demonstrate his intentions, Finn plunged the knife into the vulnerable boy's skin, drawing more than enough blood to convince Kurt to do as he was told. _

"I tried to warn Rachel, to warn you all. I was just so scared." Kurt needed the people listening to know that he had made every effort to protect his friends.

Quinn sat down beside him on the floor. "You tried, Kurt; that's all that mattered. Think of how much worse it could have been."

"Because everything is so rosy now," Kurt replied angrily, before apologising. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad at you. You're right; Finn could have killed Noah, or any of us. I truly believe that he snapped, being cooped up at home, plotting his revenge on us."

"What I don't understand is how Rachel acted so calmly. It was so eerie, like she wasn't really there and yet she somehow managed to do what she did." Kurt spoke to Leroy and Hiram, who had listened to Kurt's description of his time with Finn without saying a word.

"Until she wakes up, I can't say for sure," Hiram began, "but my best guess is that she either thought she was in one of her nightmares, or it was a spike of adrenaline that pushed her into survival mode."

"She did tell me that she's been able to fight back at Finn in her more recent nightmares, so that would make sense," Quinn said slowly. "She didn't even react to the noise of Sam, Blaine and Daddy B trying to get the door open." She looked at the sling Sam wore, his shoulder having taken the brunt of their efforts until the officers from the squad car had arrived to help.

"I'm not sure if you've realised this yet, Kurt, but Finn tricked me as well," Leroy said suddenly. "I got a message supposedly from your dad looking to meet me as soon as possible, and I believed it was genuine. I left the house, left you all." He looked sad as Kurt immediately tried to disagree with his statement. "It's fine, Kurt. I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm just trying to show you, show all of you that Finn tricked everyone. Took advantage of the fact that in spite of everything he had done, we wanted to believe that we could still help him. So, if any of you ever need to talk, or to vent, please speak to me. Because I really know how you feel." Leroy spoke honestly, wanting to show the teens how his acceptance of what had happened to him was better than trying to ignore it completely.

"Only if you promise us the same; that you will talk to us," Quinn said, grateful for Leroy's words.

"I'm going to head back to my dad," Kurt spoke. "Let me know if there is any change."

"Of course," Hiram replied, hugging the boy, while Leroy reminded him that he was available whenever Kurt needed someone to talk to. Blaine accompanied his boyfriend, both boys checking in with Carole first. Sarah Puckerman was with her; the two mothers and long time friends sat quietly, their thoughts focused on their sons, so Blaine and Kurt didn't stay long. Taking a seat beside Burt's bed, Blaine watched as Kurt fussed around his dad, adjusting the curtains, straightening the comforter, before sitting down to watch him sleep. Hiram observed all of this from the door, turning at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Sergeant Angelo and Dr Smyth stood looking at the Hummel-Hudson family, which had been almost torn apart and yet was still fighting to survive. Motioning to Hiram, the trio moved away, joined a minute later by Leroy. "We've watched the footage and begun taking statements," Sergeant Angelo said. "There are a few issues that I need to discuss with you, before we can proceed."

"I thought perhaps I could stay with Rachel and Noah, speak with any friends who are with them, while you deal with these matter," Dr Smyth offered.

"It won't take long and you won't have to leave. There is a room ready just down the hall."

Both men followed him, knowing that Dr Smyth would let them know if there was any change. Leroy in particular needed something practical to do; he was somewhat envious of Hiram's medical training, and needed to feel useful.

"Firstly, the crime techs are almost finished at you house, but it wouldn't be available to you until tomorrow afternoon." Sergeant Angelo looked apologetic about this.

"Take all the time you need," Leroy said.

"Next, I need to inform you that Jacob Ben Israel's father has suggested a plea deal for his son."

Hiram felt his temper rise at the mention of his daughter's stalker. "What right has that boy to ask for any leniency from us? No, Leroy, he went too far this time. He broke into our home and filmed our daughter. I couldn't protect her from Finn, but this I can do something about. I want the book thrown at Jacob."

"Mr Ben Israel feels the same way, Mr Berry." Sergeant Angelo told Hiram. "All he asks is that, as Jacob is still a minor, he serves his time in a Juvenile Detention Centre, and for some of his sentences to run concurrently."

"And in return?" Leroy asked, all business.

"Jacob will plead guilty to breaking and entering, harassment and the unlawful filming of a minor."

"Given his age, the maximum he'll serve is eighteen months," Leroy stated.

"Yes, but following that, as part of his deal, Jacob will have to spend another twelve months in a minimum security facility, before being released." Sergeant Angelo hoped the Berry men would see that Jacob was going to be punished.

"Is it possible for the last twelve months to be in a treatment program?" Hiram asked. "I think that I would feel better knowing Jacob got some form of professional help before being let out into the world again."

"That is very considerate of you, if you don't mind me saying," the sergeant commented.

"It would be easy to take my anger and frustration out on Jacob, but with the correct sentence and the proper treatment then he still has a chance. Obviously, he will have to stay away from Rachel for at least ten years once he has been released. Is that possible?"

"There are legal steps to that can be taken, to make that request part of Jacob's agreement," Leroy told his husband.

"The footage from the hidden camera can be used in any future trial," Sergeant Angelo said, addressing the other, more delicate issue. "Depending on medical outcomes, which of course will influence everything, there is significant evidence to close this part of the investigation and begin preparations for the next stage of the process." He paused briefly, watching how Leroy and Hiram were reacting to his words. "Charges will be made." He broke off, once more given the uncertainty he was slightly unsure how best to continue.

Leroy spoke, "We know about the complications, Sergeant; how everything depends on our daughter waking up. On her attacker waking up. All Hiram and I need to know from you is that when that happens, you will be ready." His voice trembled on the last of his words, the reality of Rachel not waking up catching up with him once more.

"If, for whatever reason, is the footage enough to secure a conviction?" Hiram said, asking the question that his husband had been unable to form, the thought that Rachel may not be in a position to testify in court too distressing to consider just then.

"Yes," was the short reply from Sergeant Angelo. Now was not the time to remind the two men of all the complexities of this case. How, for all they knew, all the evidence, the statements his has team had collected, the case now rested on whether or not three teens woke up. _Never mind the case_, the sergeant thought to himself. _The future of all the families involved hung on what might occur, should __the unthinkable happen._

Pushing those melancholy thoughts from his head, Sergeant Angelo turned his attention back to Leroy and Hiram, telling them that he would get straight to work with the District Attorney and Mr Ben Israel. The three men exited the room, said a quick goodbye and, while the sergeant returned to the station, Rachel's fathers made their way to her room, where they discovered a few more gleeks sitting outside, talking quietly to Dr Smyth.

"Daddy B, Mr B." Tina, with Mike and Sam greeted them.

As Dr Smyth moved to stand, Leroy stopped her, "Stay, please, if you have time," he said softly, somewhat relieved when she remained.

"Where is everyone else?" he heard Hiram ask.

"Sue and Emma took Mercy, San and Lauren to get supplies. Quinn's mom and Artie are with Britt," Tina replied.

"Q's back inside with Blaine. There was some family stuff going on with the Hummels," Mike added, slightly nervous. Before their return, he had spoken to Dr Smyth about feeling anxious that he would say the wrong thing. The whole situation was so fragile and Mike was unsure how it could ever be resolved without one family losing a loved one. Dr Smyth had told him that it was natural to feel like this, but as they were all involved, his friends and their parents would be experiencing similar emotions.

As if to confirm this, Leroy took a seat beside him. "I bet you feel as helpless as I do?" he asked. "I want to offer my help to Carole, to Kurt but right now I don't trust myself to be near them. I'm afraid that I'll say the wrong thing or make them feel guilty."

"I get it. Like we're meant to be a family, but it feels like we're being pulled apart by something none of us can control. Like we are walking on ice that will break at any minute and only some of us will survive. Or maybe we all will but we'll never be the same." Mike did his best to articulate his thoughts.

"Whatever happens, Mike, we will stick together. We will be that family again." Leroy replied.

Suddenly, the noise level from Rachel and Noah's room increased, alarms blared and Blaine appeared at the door calling for help. Leroy and Hiram were on their feet in an instant, a medical team not far behind.

"Noah!" Sarah Puckerman's frantic cry announced her arrival, the three parents stood closely together, watching helplessly as their children, again in sync with each other, flat lined.

**A.N. Please forgive me for once more leaving you on a cliffhanger, but it seemed like the natural ending place for the chapter. **

**Thank you to those who review but don't accept PM's. **

**'Vanessaray' I only want happiness for Rachel, even though it may not seem that way just now, but I understand your protectiveness of her.**

**'On-Eno' I hope you were happy with the news of Jacob's plea deal? **

**'BT' I hope that this chapter is not as confusing as you found the last?**

**I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments and suggestions as usual. As the sun is shining here in Ireland I send you all delish virtual ice creams, partly as a bribe to forgive my wicked muse, but also as a reward for being awesome readers:) Carrie**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any lyrics used in this chapter.**

**A.N. My thanks as always to everyone who reads/follows and reviews.**

**To xXLittle Rose AngelXx my wonderful beta, my unending thanks for all your hard work and help.**

**Warning: This chapter features scenes of a disturbing nature from the very start. As always they are not overly graphic, but some readers may find them upsetting or a trigger. Please contact me if you would prefer to get the outline of the chapter before reading. ~Carrie**

_"__Let them go, Finn. Let them go and I'll stop fighting you, stop fighting my destiny." Rachel ignored the shocked cries of Kurt and Quinn, focusing only on keeping Finn away from Noah - her Noah, who was slowly regaining consciousness, if his agonised moans were a sign that his body had registered the knife wound that had been inflicted on it. She took four more steps, moving ever closer to Finn, who was watching her in surprise; clearly he had not anticipated this response from her. A clatter of metal broke the spell and Rachel found herself being held tight by Finn as he shouted at Kurt and Quinn to stand by Puck. _

_"__Do you really think that you can trick me, Rachel? That I would forget how you allowed that interrogation in the choir room to happen? How you allowed Puck to touch you? How you freely offered him everything you denied me?" With every __word, Finn's anger grew and Rachel began doubting her ability to keep her friends safe, began questioning her decision to try bargaining with the person who had treated her so cruelly and who still had no trace of remorse for his actions. _

_"__Ray." She heard Noah's pained whisper and it renewed her strength, her determination to get those she loved away from Finn. _

_"Please, it's me you want. Just let them go. You will never be able to stay with me if something happens to them," Rachel pleaded, hoping that he would listen to her, would think logically for just long enough so that she could get Noah and the others out of the basement. _

_"__Rachel, whatever would I do without you? Always thinking of others, always playing the martyr. How far are you willing to take this charade?" he asked, his voice full of malice as his hold on her tightened further. Turning Rachel so that she was looking directly at Quinn, Kurt and Noah, Finn spoke again. "How much is each person worth to you? A kiss for Quinn? Some clothes removed for Kurt? And what about Puck? He deserves a show don't you think?" Then Finn leaned downed, whispering in Rachel's ear, enjoying her reaction to his vile and disgusting words almost as much as the sound of Puck's constant struggle to free himself. "Be careful, Puck; my hand might slip and you know now firsthand what can happen." Finn pressed the knife to Rachel's side, before using it to tear the material of the __shirt she wore, leaving more skin exposed. _

_Noah's angry roar echoed around the basement; he could see that whatever had caused Rachel to try and convince Finn to free them was almost gone and that soon she would be powerless to stop him from carrying out his threats. _

_"__Finn Hudson, this is Detective James from Lima Police Department. I would like to talk with you. Can we please try and resolve this situation so that no one gets hurt?" The detective's voice was amplified by some kind of speaker, so Noah was unsure of where the man was. Was this the police's attempt to negotiate with Finn? __To distract him so that a rescue plan could be put into operation? He tried to think things through clearly, but in his weakened state he was not sure what help he could give the detective and his team. Right now, his only concern was to get Finn away from Rachel, to ensure her, Kurt and Quinn's freedom, no matter what it cost him personally. _

_"__Go away, Mr Lima P.D," he heard Finn call out in reply. "I have everything I need here, unless you can find me a Justice of the Peace?" Noah exchanged quick glances with Quinn and Kurt, all three confused by Finn's request. "I know you wanted a traditional wedding, Rachel, but that will just have to wait. I've decided we're going to be married, so you are legally mine and while we wait for Lima's finest to organise that for us we can start the festivities early." _

_Ignoring the violent tremors that ran through Rachel's body as she tried to make any sense from this announcement, Finn demanded that Kurt make his bride look more deserving of the great honour he was about to bestow upon her. "Take that filth off of her. No bride of mine is going to wear another man's clothes." He shouted, pulling at what remained of Noah's shirt from Rachel's shaking body. Kurt did as he was asked, gently removing the shredded material, passing it to Quinn before his stepbrother could stop him, pleased when the frightened girl used it to apply pressure to Noah's wound. _

_"__Rachel, I am so sorry," Kurt whispered to his friend, who didn't reply, but kept looking between Finn and Noah, the former getting closer to them. _

_"__I told you before, Kurt, not to test me, but you never learn." And before the smaller boy could defend himself, he was pushed forcefully towards the stairs, hitting his head off the banister, blacking out from the impact. He lay in a prone position, his head resting on the bottom step and Rachel watched helplessly as Quinn screamed and Kurt lay unmoving. She knew that she wasn't going to make it out of the basement unless she took extreme measures. _

_"Finn, what is happening? You don't have to hurt anyone. Please." Carole's broken voice rang through the room. _

_"__Go away, Mom. You can meet your daughter-in-law later. You may, however, want to warn Burt not to expect his son to be doing much singing or dancing any time soon," Finn shouted back in the direction that his mother's voice had come from. The noise level in the main part of the house grew louder at these words from Finn. Burt's horror at their implication and Carole's tearful attempts to offer comfort were quickly overshadowed by a loud crash and calls for help. In the basement, though, the growing commotion from upstairs faded as Finn caught both his former girlfriends attempting to communicate with each other, an act that earned Quinn a painful slap to the face, knocking the girl to the floor momentarily. _

_"__Stop this, Finn. Stop right now," Rachel spoke as her tormentor turned his attention back to her. "You can't keep treating your mother like this." _

_Finn's response was to immediately lash out at her. __"__And just how would you know anything about what my mother is feeling? What she wants? What any mother wants, for that matter? It's not like your own mother wanted you. That will all change when she sees how well I've trained you, made you less of an embarrassment to be seen with. It's probably one of the main reasons she rejected you sophomore year." _

_Instead of tearing her down, Rachel used this verbal assault as motivation to give __Finn some home truths. After all, if this was the last chance she was going to have, then there was nothing to stop her from holding back. __"__Enough, Finn. You say you love me, that you want us to be together, but you don't really. You just want to cause me pain, to punish me because I dared to say no to you. I would have given you what you wanted if I thought it might have helped, but you will never be happy. Not unless you are in charge and the rest of us are your little puppets, forever doing your will and never speaking against you. No more, Finn, no more following your commands, being threatened by you. Let us out now." _

_"__Or what, Rachel? I have the knife, remember. Why don't I show you just how well __I can use it on your darling Noah?" Chaos greeted these words. Finn shoved Rachel to the floor, charging towards Noah, the knife slashing wildly. Rachel scrambled to her feet, jumping onto her crazed ex-boyfriend's back, kicking and hitting at whatever part of him she could reach before, with a furious cry, Noah, hands still bound to the chair, launched himself at Finn. Quinn rushed to pull Kurt out of danger, shouting loudly for help, which arrived in the form of the police, breaking the door down. They were greeted by the sight of Finn sprawled on top of Noah, separated only by the remnants of a chair, while Rachel sat close by, rocking beside them, covered in blood and staring at the knife that was lodged in Finn's back. "I've killed him. I killed Finn," she repeated over and over again. _

"Rachel? What are you doing out of bed?"

Startled from her memories, Rachel jumped, before relaxing at the sight of her dad. "I couldn't sleep and I just had to see him for myself," she replied, her eyes fixed on the unmoving body of Finn and the machines that he was attached to.

"The doctors told Carole that he is stable now, and, even though he is still sedated, the dosage can be lowered soon. They will know more in the morning, but, physically at least, they expect him to heal," Leroy explained carefully.

"Just like Noah?"

"Yes, Darling, just like Noah. Sarah told me that his latest scan showed improvements already, so his medically induced coma can be lifted in the next twenty four hours, maybe even as early as tomorrow morning."

Leroy continued to watch his daughter, trying to judge her reaction to what he was saying and how much of the information was being heard. He and Hiram had almost lost her, a sudden blood clot caused by an internal injury she had sustained. By all rights, she should still be in bed, but Leroy could understand why she was here in the middle of the night, seeing for herself that Finn was still living. "We should really get you back to your room in case Daddy wakes up and finds us gone," he suggested softly.

"Can we check on Britt first?" Rachel asked, wanting to see her friend for herself.

"Okay, but only if you promise to use the wheelchair. You really are not strong enough to be walking just yet."

In response, Rachel sat demurely in the chair, allowing her dad to wrap her in a blanket. She admitted to herself that she was tired from her trip to Finn's room and would be unable to make it to Brittany's room and back to her own bed without assistance. When they reached Britt, Rachel and Leroy found the girl sleeping peacefully, Santana tucked up beside her.

"Can you explain to me again what happened to her?" Rachel asked as her dad wheeled her down the hall to the room she was sharing with Noah, helping her into bed without waking her daddy.

"Brittany realised that Finn was in the basement and she saw the knife. In her rush to get to the house she misjudged the height of the kerb in front of our driveway and lost control of Sue's car, which then crashed into the old tree at the side of the garage. She told Sue later that she panicked, wanting to get to you that she never thought to tell anyone just why she was in such a hurry." Leroy then told Rachel how, in spite of her injuries, Brittany had told the officers who were watching the Berry house what she had seen, insisting they alert the station before helping her. "As they were making the call, Detective James arrived with back up."

"But we were already in the basement?" Rachel asked, trying to get a clear idea of the timeline of the day. "Britt's not too badly hurt, is she?" Her eyelids started to close, but she forced them open, resisting her body's need for rest in order to hear Leroy's reply.

"Minor injuries from the airbag and seatbelt, mostly. It's procedure to keep her in overnight. Now, I think it is time you were asleep darling."

"Wait, I never gave Noah a kiss good night. Dad, please, I promise that I'll sleep then, maybe even take some pain medication."

"Better not argue with her," Hiram spoke from the chair beside her bed. He had heard part of the conversation between his husband and daughter. "Been on a midnight walkabout, Star?" he questioned.

"I had to see him for myself," came her quiet reply. Understanding who she was talking about, Hiram just helped Rachel out of her bed, escorting her the short distance to where Noah lay sleeping. Carefully, Rachel let her fingertips trace the outline of his lips, ran them over his forehead and through his hair before allowing her hand to come to rest over his heart. "Come back to me, Noah," she whispered before placing a soft kiss on his lips, then, taking his palm, she kissed it before closing it so that the kiss was sealed into his skin. "Now I can sleep," she declared, allowing herself to be tucked up once again, accepting the tablets she was given without a fuss. She drifted off to sleep unafraid for the first time in days, knowing that there would be no nightmares waiting for her. There were only thoughts of Noah in her head, and a promise that was within their reach.

Leroy and Hiram saw the small smile that settled on her face as she gave in to her body's need for rest. They had been so certain that they were going to lose her; the minutes before the clot had been discovered felt more like hours, complete with the added soundtrack of alarms that never seemed to stop going off. It had taken some time for the medical team to stabilise her, but they had been reassured that all was under control now, that Rachel just needed time to recover from the second serious trauma her body had undergone in a short space of time.

Her treatment was different to Noah's. The doctors felt the injury to his head could not heal without the aid of a heavy sedation, but it had been decided that, from a psychological perspective, Rachel might respond badly to a similar kind of treatment. The idea of their daughter being trapped in an ongoing panic attack that she couldn't wake up from was not something either Hiram or Leroy would consent to. Sarah Puckerman had left around midnight once Noah was fully settled, the latest tests by the consultant showing that, thankfully, there had been no severe damage to his brain, though they were all aware that the final diagnosis could only happen when Noah was conscious once more. Now, knowing that her son was being watched by the Berries and having spent some much needed time with her daughter, who had been with Sam's family since school let out, Sarah was hoping to get a few hours sleep so she would be fully prepared for whatever the next day would bring.

Becca had been upset to hear that her big brother was too sick for her to visit him, but Mrs Evans had kept her busy making get well cards for those in the hospital, so the young girl had little chance to worry. Once again, the extended Glee family had pulled together, organising a timetable to ensure that none of the patients were ever left alone, bringing any supplies that were needed and offering any assistance they could. Emma and Sue, with the help of Dr Smyth had listened to any of the gleeks or their parents who needed to express how they were feeling as a result of Finn's rash actions.

The hospital had been very accommodating. It had been easy to convince them to allow Noah and Rachel to stay in the same room; the doctors had seen for themselves how close and deep their bond was and had agreed that it couldn't do any harm to either of their recoveries. Hiram had been relieved that he had not had to fight with any of his colleagues, but the welfare of his daughter and her protector came first.

Now, as he and his husband watched over both of them sleeping, Hiram noticed how one of Noah's hands was moving slightly, almost as if he was playing the piano. Turning, he looked at Rachel, who, while still asleep, was moving her lips, singing silently in perfect harmony with the movements of Noah's hand. Hiram nudged Leroy, and found him starring between both teens amazed by this further example of unity, especially given the fact that Noah's sedation should have prevented it from occurring. "If Britt were here, she's say it was Puckleberry Magic," Leroy remarked.

"Has she finally converted you?" Hiram replied. His husband had always had faith in Noah finding his way back to Rachel, acting behind the scenes to reduce the time Noah had to spend in Juvie while refusing to take any money from Sarah or letting Noah be told about the role he had played.

"I've been a believer since the night of Rachel's Bat Mitzvah, when Sarah told us about Noah's present for her," Leroy said. He could still remember the dazed look on both of their faces when they had been called into the house. He had known straight away that something had changed between them. Leroy had never admitted it to his husband, but he was really hoping to one day be legally able to call Noah a member of his family.

"Do you think that is what Rachel is singing now?" Hiram asked, looking closer and trying to make out the words that were becoming slightly more audible. He recognised the song as being from his daughter's favourite modern musical, which he had always thought was very suited to Rachel and Noah - the gifted girl who fell in love with the boy who hid his true self from those who were too blind to see the real him.

"They were happy in the end love, Elphaba and Fiyero." Leroy said, "I believe Rachel and Noah will be just as happy in the future." Both men listened closely, Rachel's voice quietening as her medication took effect. The last lyrics she sang were no louder than a whisper.

"_Just for this moment, as long as your mine, come be how you want to and see how bright we shine._"

**A.N. I hope that this chapter answered any questions you may have had, but please know that I am always happy to explain anything that has proven confusing to readers. So feel free to send me a PM, or leave a comment in the review section and I'll get back to you :)**

**I hope that the Puckleberry ending in this chapter has earnt me the forgiveness of those who thought I might have killed off either Rachel or Noah. Never give up on the magic of Puckleberry ;)**

**A few replies to reviewers that don't have PM enabled:**

**'SciFiGal63': I don't see Jacob dying in prision, in fact I believe we probably won't be seeing or hearing from him personally again in this story.**

**'VanessaRay': I really hope you found this chapter followed previous ones, in the way I dealt with the difficult scenes and also that the ending to this chapter had, is a sign of happier times to come. **

**'Emma Leigh': I am sorry you were confused, hopefully this chapter will answer any questions you had.**

**'On-Eno': The last cliffhanger was not meant to be cruel, so sorry about that. Thank you especially for the last line of you review, means the world to me:)**

**'BT': With Jacob I did want to show redemption is possible, he is a hormonal teen who took his obsession too far but now has the chance to make amends because he is willing to admit that he was in the wrong.**

**As always I ask you to let me know your thoughts on this chapter, any comments or suggestions you have. Thanks for reading ~Carrie**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. My thanks as always to each and everyone who reads/follows and reviews my story. I want to give a special shout out to msmelanieberry on twitter for all the support and for recommending my fic to your followers.  
**

**I am so grateful to my amazing beta xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being so generous with her time. **

**Lastly a reminder that Finn has a habit of saying things that are mean, rude and very disrespectful. They do not reflect my personal views or opinions and it is not my intention to offend anyone.**

It had been forty eight hours since Finn had held Rachel, Noah, Kurt and Quinn hostage in the Berry house. During that time, emotions had remained high among those affected, while Lima itself buzzed with the news that not only had the normally reliable Finn Hudson acted so out of character, but that this was only the first of his recent crimes. The general population was still in the dark about Finn's previous attack on Rachel, and it was the aim of all the parents involved to keep that information private for as long as was possible.

Now, while her son's doctors ran a number of tests, Carole Hummel was preparing for an extremely painful conversation with her only child, detailing the difficult and somewhat reluctant decision she had made that would determine how he would spend the next years of his life. She was just grateful for Burt's continued presence by her side, for the kindness and generosity of the Berry men who had insisted that she put Finn's future before Rachel's while she made up her mind, and for Sue, who had offered invaluable advice during her turn staying with Carole.

In fact, the cheerleading coach had remained uncharacteristically silent, allowing Carole to express her fears, her hurt and her complete inability to comprehend how her whole world had been so cruelly turned upside down. It was also Sue who had spoken to the District Attorney about all the options available to Finn, and who, with the help of Artie, researched all the potential medical challenges Finn might have to endure during his recovery, and who was always willing to find answers to whatever question Carole found herself with. Once more she wished that Finn had had Sue or Coach Beiste as a mentor - these strong women would have had a better chance of seeing behind Finn's lies and tricks, unlike Will Schuester, who had been too weak to see when his own prejudices were being exploited. Perhaps the two coaches might have been able to teach Finn that there is more to life than being popular and that being the quarterback or the town's golden child only lasted so long, but that it was by your life's work, your own achievements, big or small, that you showed your true worth.

It would be too easy to let Mr Schue take all the blame for Finn's attitude and behaviour, but Carole was not afraid to admit the truth. She recognised the role she had played, allowing Finn to get away with unacceptable behaviour whenever he played the dead father card, allowing herself be blinded by his little boy lost mask, not seeing sooner that her negligence in correcting him had fuelled Finn's belief that he was beyond any authority, that his way was always right.

"Carole?" Sue asked quietly, appearing by the troubled woman's side. "Has there been any new information regarding Finn's injuries?"

"They are trying to discover the full extent of the damage to his spine. He's been less than helpful, although whether that's from denial or anger I can't tell," Carole replied, thinking back to the moments when the discovery had been made that Finn had lost all feelings to his lower body. The doctors had warned her that it was a possibility when he had been first brought in, but it had only really sunk in when Finn had woken. The current tests he was undergoing were to establish if all the damage was permanent while trying to put together the right care plan for his treatment, however Finn was not being cooperative with the medical team, his mind still fixated on Rachel.

There had been an extremely frightening episode earlier when Finn had overheard Kurt and his dad speaking about Noah's progress. Finn had let out a scream of pure fury, before trying to get out of his bed, in spite of both his new limitations and also the many wires and I.V lines that he was connected to. It had taken several minutes and five medical staff to restrain and calm Finn, all the time Carole could only stand by watching, unable to help, until Sue had removed her from the room. Both Burt and Kurt had apologised for their carelessness, but Carole had been quick to let them know that they were not to blame for how Finn reacted to a private conversation he had happened to overhear.

As far as she was concerned Finn had to be made aware of the truth; she was done sugar-coating things for her son, and she was only sorry that Finn's reaction had been anger and not remorse. The lead doctor had suggested that Carole take the opportunity to get some fresh air and some food while they ran the remainder of their tests. When she went to protest, he gently told her that it would be better if Finn was with people he was unemotionally attached to, just while he and his team completed their work. Carole had found herself under the care of Sarah Puckerman, who had brought her friend to the staff locker room, where she availed of the amenities and left it half an hour later feeling much refreshed and slightly more confident in her ability to make Finn see reason when she next spoke to him.

"Excuse me, Mrs Hummel?" A nurse approached Carole, interrupting her thoughts as she stood, watching her son discreetly from just outside his room. "Dr Lopez asked me to tell you that your son's medical team are ready to speak with you. If you could follow me, please?"

Burt was at his wife's side the minute he saw her panic stricken response to this announcement. He had been trying to give her as much space as she needed, trying not to let his own feeling influence any of her choices, knowing how Finn reacted anytime either Burt or his son were close by. Carole held her husband's hand tightly, trying to convey without words how much his support was needed and appreciated.

"I'm right here, love; whatever I can do, you just have to ask," Burt spoke softly.

"Stay with me, I can't face this without you." Carole responded, relieved when he fell into step beside her, leaving their hands entwined.

An hour later, after listening to what Finn's doctors had told them, Carole felt as if she would never be the same again. Certainly, the prognosis decreased the number of options open to Finn, while at the same time increasing the pressure on her to make him see the importance of moving forward as much he possibly could within the restrictions he would now find placed on him. Again, Burt had shown incredible tact and sensitivity by deciding to remain absent while Carole and the lead doctor discussed Finn's test results, in just the same way as Burt had not accompanied his wife when she first broke the news to Finn about his injuries.

"_Mom, Dr Mac, I wasn't expecting you back so soon." _

_Carole physically flinched at the flippant sound of Finn's greeting, before taking a seat beside his bed. _

"_Finn, Dr Mac has given me the results of your initial examinations, the ones he and his team carried out on you earlier." She paused, trying to remember the words that she had rehearsed. _

"_Seriously, Mom, relax. So it takes me a few weeks to get back on my feet. I'll just have Schue improvise on a few songs, like he did with 'Proud Mary', you know the song we preformed in wheelchairs and we'll be all set for Sectionals." _

"_I'm afraid that your injuries are more serious Finn than any of us would like," Dr Mac began, only for his patient to speak over him. "_

"_So how long are we talking about, doc? A month? Two? I need to be out of the chair for Regionals at the very latest. Also, the chair is not exactly a babe magnet you know?" _

"_Finn," Carole said loudly. "Please just listen to me. The damage to your spine appears to be more extensive than any of the doctors thought it would be." _

"_I already told you, Mom, I'll do the work, get strong again and be out of the chair before you know it," Finn spat out somewhat harshly. "Right, Dr Mac?" "_

"_I'm very sorry Finn, but it is very likely that the injury to your spine means you will never walk again," the doctor explained, his words met with silence as Finn looked wildly between his mother, who was unable to stop her tears, and the grave faced doctor who wished there was an easier way to deliver this diagnosis. _

_"You're sorry? You tell me that I will never walk again and the only other thing you can say is that you're sorry? Get out. Both of you. I want more test, new doctors. Do you hear me? I said get out!" Finn shouted. "Mom what part of get out did you not understand?" He continued to lash out at his mother, but she had been prepared for this kind of a response. _

"_No, Finn, I am not going to leave you. You have to listen to everything that Dr Mac has to say. You need to know about the treatment that you will have to undergo. There is physical therapy, for example, that you will need to do in order to build up other muscles that you will be using to compensate for those you can't use anymore. I know it won't be the same as before, but just think, Finn, it could be so much worse. You could be fully paralysed; you could have bled out and died. You will have to learn to be thankful that you are still alive." _

"_Really, Mom, you think that I want to hear any of this? Has Kurt started decorating my wheelchair so that it's all glittery? Because that won't happen. Do you understand? I won't be seen at school in front of all my friends in a wheelchair that sparkles." Finn stopped suddenly at the look of anguish that flashed across his mother's face at his last words. "What have I said now that has you all offended?" _

"_Finn, you've just learnt a very distressing piece of news, so I think that it's best for everyone to give you some time to begin processing the challenges ahead of you before talking about anything else." Dr Mac did his best to convince the angry teen to take a rest, but Finn wouldn't let the subject drop, even when the doctor warned him that he'd be sedated if he didn't try to calm himself. "Please, Finn, the stress is not good for you at the moment. I know that you don't want to hear this right now but there are other side effects to your injuries." _

"_You mean besides the fact that I'll no longer be able to sing on stage with Rachel wrapped in my arms as we dance? Or that Artie already holds the one spot on the football team open to losers in wheelchairs? You can't even begin to imagine what my life is like now, knowing that I'll have to compete with that nerd for my rightful place on the team, all the time hoping my status as a cripple will be enough to stop the man whore Lima loser from stealing Rachel away from me."_

"_No, it means that you will have to work harder to compensate for the weakened __parts of your body. Please try and calm yourself or I will medicate you." At this point Finn noted that his mother had left the room, and that Dr Mac held a syringe ready. _

"_Do your worst doc, it's not like you're all that good at your job, useless, pathetic..." _

_As the drug took effect, Finn's words trailed off and Dr Mac exited to the room to seek out Carole. It was not the first time that he had had to deliver bad news like that to a patient, but even before the seriousness of Finn's injuries had become clear, it was already a disturbing case. After all, it was not every day that your patient arrived in the manner that Finn Hudson had, or who, in spite of the fact that he was unable to walk, was still supervised by a discreet police presence that the boy himself had not yet noticed. Having reached Carole and Burt, he told Finn's anxious mother and stepfather that Finn was resting and that it would be best to postpone any further conversations until a later time. _

Now, with a much clearer picture of the full magnitude of the damage to Finn's spinal cord, Carole was bracing herself for an even more harrowing conversation with her son. Again, Dr Mac accompanied her while Burt remained just outside the room, just in case his wife should need him by her side at any stage.

"Well, if it isn't my dear mother and Dr Sunshine," Finn drawled, the tone of his voice indicating that his mood remained sullen. "I can only guess what words of joy and comfort you have for me. To be honest, I've decided that I'm not interested in any of your pitiful attempts to make me see the brighter side of life. I'm Finn Hudson, there is no problem that I can't solve and that I can't overcome by myself alone."

"I welcome your determination, Finn," said Dr Mac as calmly as possible. "Your treatment will be long term but there is no reason why you can't, with hard work, regain a certain amount of movement."

"So I won't be like Artie - stuck in a chair for the rest of my life?" Finn asked, suddenly sounding more hopeful.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you that you will ever get your full range of movement or sensation back. I won't lie to you, Finn, but..."

"Is this the part where you tell me to have faith and to believe in the power of positive thought?" Finn interrupted the doctor, his mood changing rapidly once again. "To not give up? You are a fool if you think that your words mean anything to me. The only thing motivating me to get out of this chair is so that I can put Noah Puckerman back in his place and then make him watch as Rachel crawls to me on her hands and feet while begging me to forgive her."

"Finn, that kind of attitude is not going to help you, or anyone else for that matter," Carole pleaded.

"Do you really think, after all that has happened, after all that you have allowed to be done to me, I care in the slightest what you think, Mother? I've just been told that I will never play ball again, that I will probably never walk and you're surprised that I'm not in a better mood?"

Remembering Dr Mac's advice to remain calm, Carole took a moment to steady her nerves before speaking again. "We need to discuss what is going to happen next, Finn."

"What is there to discuss? You'll find the best rehab facility, the best therapies so that I can get back to my life before Puck tries to replace me."

Carole winced at Finn's words, realising that her son still had not figured out that his old life was gone, regardless of his medical status. "Finn, Dr Mac is in the process of arranging your transfer to where you will be undergoing your treatment programme, but there is something that we really need to talk about. You hurt people, Finn. You held Rachel, Noah, Kurt and Quinn captive in a basement. You forced Kurt to help you trap them and then you left him unconscious. You're just lucky that no one died, don't you see that?"

"You're such a drama queen, Mom; clearly you have spent far too much time with my step brother. There was no danger of anyone dying."

"Noah had swelling on his brain, Finn; Kurt was concussed and seriously traumatised by what you made him do. Rachel suffered a blood clot as a result of the internal injuries you left her with, and this is not the first time you have caused her physical harm, is it?"

"And what about Quinn? What did I do to that tramp that she didn't deserve? It's not as if I wanted her there in the basement, so why should she be left out when she insisted on being included. You should know by now how she gets when she's feeling ignored. Face it, Mom; they all got what they deserved for how they dared to treat me. Now I'm stuck as a cripple and they get to move on and to forget about me? I don't think so. I want Puck charged with attempted murder. It's because of him that I can't stand up or walk." The monitor beside Finn indicated that his blood pressure and heart rate were rising.

Carole used the few minutes it took for Finn's vitals to stabilise to choose her next words, her decision having been vindicated by the crazed look in her son's eyes as he spoke about his victims. Moving closer to Finn's bed, she took a seat waiting for a sign from Dr Mac that she could continue. "There is something important that you need to know, Finn. As a result of what you have done, you won't be coming home. You have to be punished for what you have done."

"Mom, what drugs are you on? Of course I'll be coming home, although it would help if Burt and his shadow were someplace else. We don't need them. We were better off when it was just the two of us."

"No, Finn, you are going to prison. Because of your injuries, you will be confined to a specialist medical centre that houses inmates with various disabilities and illnesses. You will have access to all the treatments you need; I made sure of that." Carole spoke slowly, her voice trembling slightly at the growing anger on her son's face.

"Prison? Mom, what are you talking about? What have you done?" Finn demanded.

"I made a plea deal on your behalf with the District Attorney. It was the only choice, Finn; you have to see how there was nothing else I could do." Once more, Carole could not stop her tears from falling, the reality of what she had done fully sinking in.

"How is that even possible, Mom? I have rights. I have done nothing to deserve this; why could you not just stay out of my business? You are just a weak, stupid excuse of a mother who has finally succeeded in ruining my life, my legacy." With every word, Finn's rage grew, his voice becoming colder and more scornful and he looked at Carole as if she were a stranger.

Instead of backing down as she might have done in the past, Carole let the pain that Finn's taunts caused to wash over her, refusing to believe anything that he said or any name that he called her. "That is enough, Finn. You will listen to what I have to say without interrupting me. You are still a minor, so as your guardian I have the legal power to accept a deal on your behalf. You will serve time for the hell that you have subjected us all to. I can only hope that you will eventually accept full responsibility for all the wrong you have done. You have no idea how much this decision hurts me; my heart is broken Finn that this is the only way to help you, even if you don't see it that way." Her passionate speech was met with complete silence from Finn, who was still reeling from what he saw as the ultimate betrayal.

"How long?" he suddenly asked. "How much of my life have you given away because you chose to believe Rachel's lies over me? I'm your son."

"No, Finn; my son is missing, lost, but I hope to see him again. That is one of my primary reasons for agreeing to this. And to answer your question, you will have to serve a minimum of fifteen years and then, depending on your behaviour, you may become eligible for parole. The District Attorney has agreed that the maximum you will have to serve is twenty five years, provided you don't do anything that warrants further punishment."

"How can you be so calm and so unconcerned that I will spend the best years of my life behind bars? Is it not enough for you that I can't walk?"

"I'm devastated by your injuries, Finn; this is not how I pictured your future, but none of this would have happened if you had just left Rachel alone and if you had just accepted that she had moved on. You have never once said that you were sorry for hurting her, never shown the slightest remorse. That has to change."

"I've heard enough, Saint Carole. Go back and tell that bitch that I will never forget what she has done to me. Nor will I ever forgive you for abandoning me. Get out; I never want to see you again. You are dead to me, do you hear? I am an orphan."

Unable to listen any more as Finn continued to shout and curse at her, Carole left her son's room, walking past Burt, who had heard everything, until she reached the ladies' rest room where she was violently ill. She had been under no illusions that Finn would welcome her news, but Dr Mac had told her how important it was that Finn learnt what lay ahead of him from her. Carole knew that an assessment team from the facility where he would be serving at least the first part of his sentence was arriving at the hospital in a few days to ensure that all would be ready for when Finn was transferred. After splashing some cold water on her face, she left the bathroom and found Sue waiting for her.

"Do you need to talk?" the coach asked her.

"No, not right this minute. I want to check on Finn and then see if Rachel and Noah are feeling up to visitors. I made Hiram, Leroy and Sarah promise that I could be the one to explain to them about the deal I made with the D.A."

"They will both respect your choice, Carole," Sue told her, "especially in light of Finn's injuries."

"I just don't want either of them feeling responsible. Leroy told me how Rachel visited Finn in the middle of the night to check that he was really still alive. She's suffered enough without taking the blame for Finn's paralysis, particularly when he won't even admit to having done anything harmful to her in spite of all the evidence that proves that he did," Carole said quietly. In her periphery, she could see Burt sitting outside of Finn's room, could hear the anger in her son's voice as he accused Dr Mac of siding against him.

"Just remember that you are doing this for him, Carole. He will get the psychological help that he needs, which may help to explain why he spiralled so far out of control, while at the same time help him to adjust and accept the new constraints on him." Sue offered Carole what little comfort she could, all too aware that it was unlikely that Finn would be able to leave the medical facility for a long time. "Why don't you and Burt get some air, have a change of scenery? I'll stay with Finn and let you know if there is any change. You need to look after yourself as well."

Thanking Sue, Carole gladly accepted her offer and allowed Burt to lead her outside to a small garden within the grounds of the hospital. Unable to stay still, they walked hand in hand around the footpath, neither speaking just relieved not to have lost each other in the chaos that had engulfed their family. There were still many challenges to face and Carole was dreading meeting anyone not within the Glee family. The thoughts of the gossip that would follow them made her want to pack up and leave, but she refused to let petty minds or her own fear chase her away from her home. The sooner Finn was moved, the better it would be for all concerned, though none would ever forget what he had done to them. They would all carry those memories and scars forever, but just for that moment, Carole pushed aside all of her pain, her doubts and all the other emotions that were constantly threatening to overwhelm her, focusing instead on the warmth of her husband's hand on her. She could survive the uncertainly that awaited her so long as Burt was by her side.

**A.N. I did my best to research both the medical and legal issues mentioned in this chapter to make it as realistic as possible, so please no flames for any errors.**

**I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Finn's fate, if you think he got what he deserved, how Carole handled the situation and anything else you think I should know ;)**

**As usual I want to give a shout out to all the reviewers who don't have PM's enabled.**

**'Vanessaray' I hope that you approve of what is happening to Finn? **

**'SciFigal63' As much as I love Puckleberry I don't see them marrying within the time frame of this particular story.**

**'BT' Have to admit I was kinda sad that the ending of the last chp caused that reaction. Although I do know that it was OTT, I felt after everything they had been through, that it would be a cute moment. **

**'On-Eno' No shared dreams ahead for Puckleberry, but there is something in the next chp that I think you will really like! **

**So season 4 starts this week, have to say I'm kinda anxious about how it will go, if Mark will get any screen time and if they will give Puck a half decent storyline. In spite of all the craziness of the past season I refuse to give up on Glee, though I have no doubt that the only Puckleberry I'll see is here on fanfiction.  
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**As always I thank you all for taking the time to read, and please let me know what you think. ~Carrie**


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. Thank you to all the amazing people who read/follow and review this story. I now have over 500 reviews and am so happy to have reached this milestone, so a big 'thank you' to you all, and a special mention to 'BigTimeGleekBTR' who posted review number 500.**

**I am so grateful to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for taking on the challenge of being my beta reader and fixing the silly mistakes I can't help but make.**

Dr Francis McKenzie, or 'Dr Mac' as he was more commonly known by both patients and colleagues alike, was a well respected neurosurgeon. Since moving to Lima Memorial three years ago, he had worked tirelessly to improve his department so that the hospital's reputation was amongst one of the best in the state. The past few days had been some of the toughest of his career, as he dealt with two cases that were equally as challenging, testing not only his own skills but also that of the majority of the staff directly involved with both patients. Having spent most of the previous day with Finn Hudson and his mother, Dr Mac was hoping to focus more on Noah Puckerman, who had been left in the capable hands of his second in command.

As the teen continued to improve steadily with every hour that passed, Dr Mac wanted to see for himself that there were no complications remaining from either the swelling to Noah's brain or from the drugs that had been used to induce the coma that had been necessary. Any brain injury was a serious matter, and there was always a sense of fear that the patient may not wake up or, if they did, they may be left with irreversible side effects. Checking his schedule for the day, he noted that Kurt Hummel was due in for a repeat scan to ensure that any trauma that caused his concussion had healed. Leaving instructions that he was to be called when Kurt's results were back, or if Carole Hummel needed to see him, Dr Mac began his rounds.

Upon walking in to the room shared by Noah and Rachel, he saw the former watching protectively over his sleeping roommate. Speaking quietly, so as not to wake her, Dr Mac was pleased to hear that Noah's blurred vision was gone and that only a minor headache remained. Noting the low lighting in the room, Noah admitted to his doctor that any bright lights still caused pain, but again it was not as much as the day before. Checking his notes, Dr Mac enquired about Rachel, who, although not his own patient was a favourite of his none the less.

"She's doing great, Doc." Noah smiled, his focus on Rachel for a few minutes. "There have been no nightmares since I woke up, her pain had reduced a lot and she even let Brittany bring her for a walk outside."

"Well, it is very difficult to refuse Ms Pierce anything," Dr Mac joked. Like all of the hospital staff, he had found Brittany's personality charming and her dedication to her friends infectious, which meant that it was next to impossible to deny the bubbly girl anything she asked for.

"Do you think that we'll be getting home any time soon?" Noah asked, and then quickly added, "No offence intended, Doc." He was looking forward to getting back to the real world, to seeing more than one of his friends at a time, wanting to spend time with Becca, who hated seeing her older brother in hospital and, if he was being completely honest, he really wanted to put as much distance between himself, Rachel and Finn as was possible. He had heard his mom and the Daddies Berry whispering when they thought that he was sleeping, had heard pieces of conversation between his friends as they changed places when they were visiting, so Noah knew that something major had happened to Finn.

The frustrating part was that his memories of those last few minutes in the basement were missing. He had been told that both he and Rachel had fought back against Finn, and that Kurt had been pulled to safety by Quinn so that the smaller boy had luckily only suffered a concussion. He had flashes of memories that disappeared almost as suddenly as they appeared, heard strange noises that had no meaning to him, and yet he knew these glimpses where important somehow. Trusting Dr Mac when the man told him that the memories would probably return as he continued to heal, Noah was trying not to let this slight amnesia take away from the fact that he and Rachel were safe. Still, there was this persistent, nagging memory that kept trying to make itself known to him, but the more he tried to just relax and let it come to him in its own time, the further away it seemed.

"Noah? Is everything okay? Your heart monitor spiked just now." Dr Mac sounded concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine; it's just an elusive memory that refuses to cooperate with me."

"It sounds to me as if Artie's tutoring is kicking in." Rachel's voice joined the conversation, and both Dr Mac and Noah turned to see her sitting up in her bed, smiling fondly at them.

"Hello, Ms Rachel," Dr Mac began, only for a nurse to come in to the room and whisper quietly to him before leaving almost as quickly as she had appeared. "Another patient needs me I'm afraid," the doctor told them apologetically, making a few additions to Noah's chart and then, after promising to check in again as soon as he could, he exited the room.

"Poor Dr. Mac; he works so hard," Rachel commented idly, her eyes fixed on Noah's.

"You look as if you're about to break the rules, Ray," he responded, a new tone to his voice.

"Me, break the rules?" Rachel asked innocently. "That sounds very unlikely." She moved very carefully out of her bed and across the small distance that separated them. "Now, where did Britt put it?" She looked behind the curtain that Brittany had decided made a better hiding place than the privacy provider that it was meant to be. Rachel's eyes lit up as she found the dark blue fleece blanket that her friend had left there for her.

With the smallest bit of effort, Noah moved over in his bed, his eyes never leaving Rachel as she lay beside him and pulled the blanket around herself. Noah immediately wrapped his arms around his girl, a contented sigh escaping him as he welcome the feel of her body so close to his once more.

"I hope, Ray, that you are not going to get me kicked out of our room by your dads," he teased as his hand tenderly pushed a lock of her silky hair away from her forehead. Instead of answering him, Rachel just moved even closer to Noah, placing delicate kisses wherever she could reach. Noah moved slightly in order to grant her better access to him, and then placed kisses of his own on her soft skin, loving the little gasps Rachel made when his lips brushed against a particularly sensitive area on her throat.

"Noah."

The sound of his name from Rachel's mouth, so full of devotion and adoration, did crazy things to him and, unable to help himself, he tilted his head so that he could fully capture her lips.

Later, Rachel would tell Brittany of the sparks she felt - how they seemed to dance over her skin until she thought she would burst into flames. She would whisper to her friend about the way Noah's touch made her never want to let him go, and how she had realised that there would never be anyone else who would cherished her as much Noah did. She would tell her how she had tried to convey all of her pent up emotions through the way she kissed him back, wanting him to know that he was all she could ever wish for in a soul mate. This, she told Britt in hushed tones, was beyond anything they had shared before; this was not just about the way she explored the sweet cavern of his mouth, not just about how his tongue felt like velvet as it danced with hers, or even the way his hands caressed down her body. This was them acknowledging just how close they had come to losing one another, how close they had come to never saying the words out loud.

There was no more reason to wait for some fabled perfect moment, if such a thing even existed. Surely it was time to stop holding back, holding on to the fear that something would ruin this declaration. Both knew only too well that in the real world there was pain, there was suffering and there was heartache. They could spend days, weeks waiting, waiting for injuries to heal, for lawyers and judges to deliver justice, for their families to stop worrying. The list was endless and both were done waiting. There was nothing that they could not face together, no obstacle that they could not overcome. The fact that they were here, lying so close to one another, breathing and touching when by all rights they should not be, was proof of how fragile life could be. Suddenly, it didn't matter that they were in hospital instead of a more romantic setting, that they were in their pyjamas and not their best clothes. It didn't matter that the future was still so uncertain; all that mattered was that they were here, together, alive.

"I love you." Both spoke at the same time, their eyes locked, their breathing slightly erratic from their intense kisses. No more needed to be said, no explanations necessary; both were in sync with the other. They kissed again, less forcefully, but no less passionately. Whereas in the past Puck would have pushed to reach the next base as soon as he could, Noah was gentle, welcoming the gift of love that Rachel was bestowing on him. Sweeping his lips tenderly over her face, Noah placed kisses anywhere he could, returning time and time again to worship her lips, revelling in the sounds Rachel made and the fluttering touches of her own lips on his that made his heart race. Somewhere in distance, Noah became aware of a noise that sounded out of place, but at the same minute Rachel nibbled on his bottom lip and he was lost to the world outside of the girl in his arms. As far as both Rachel and Noah were concerned, this interlude lasted hours, until they both fell into a very contented sleep, tell tale signs of their embraces left for their parents to see.

Earlier, alerted by Noah's heart monitor, Sarah had found the two teens so wrapped up in the moment that neither noticed her sneak into the room to check on them. Nor did they see Sarah switch Noah's monitor to mute, the nurse knowing that the machine was being closely watched at the staff desk and that, if Noah needed attention for any reason, an alert would sound at the desk. She, along with Hiram and Leroy when they heard the news, were just surprised that it had taken their children so long to have this moment. In fact, Leroy grumbled that he had lost a bet he had been foolish enough to make with Brittany, although he refused to tell either Sarah or Hiram what his forfeit would be. Now the three parents stood guard so that no one would interrupt Rachel and Noah, going so far as to ask Carole to delay her planned conversation about Finn's transfer to the secure medical wing until the next day - a request that Carole had agreed to at once.

In the end, it was the sound of Dr Mac leaving the room that woke Noah. The doctor waved away the boy's attempts to call him back, the man giving him a wink as Rachel snuggled closer to Noah.

"Hey," she said in a sleepy voice, drawing Noah's attention to her straight away. Rachel's cheeks were slightly flushed, her hair curling loosely in places as it framed her shoulders, and Noah couldn't remember her ever looking more beautiful as she did just then.

"Good dreams?" he whispered, for some reason not wanting to speak loudly in case it broke the magic that seemed to have surrounded them as they slept.

"The best," Rachel replied, a slight smile on her face although she refused to be drawn further on the subject her dream, beyond the fact that Noah had featured prominently in it. "I guess I should go back to my own bed," she said, even though her reluctance to leave the comfort of Noah's arms was obvious. Even as he agreed with Rachel, Noah pulled her to him, sipping at her lips before deepening the kiss, knowing he was falling more in love with her with ever second that passed.

"You are everything, Ray," he rasped, his voice thick with the emotions he was trying to convey. He was somewhat surprised when Rachel pulled away from him at these words.

"Noah." She looked into his eyes, getting lost momentarily by what she saw reflected in them. "I love you. I think that I always have." She moved her hand until it rested over his heart. "I will protect this with everything I have."

"I love you too, Rachel, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. My heart is only whole because you helped me put it back together. It is yours for as long as you want it." He held his breath; he rarely spoke like this to anyone, not even his mother, but there was no secret he could keep from his girl, nor did he want to.

"Forever," Rachel replied, placing a gentle kiss over his heart as if it were fragile and might break with only the slightest amount of pressure. She knew what this gesture meant, had seen how much Noah had struggled to let people in, afraid that he would lose them like he had lost his dad and Beth.

"Forever sounds perfect, Ray," Noah whispered to her. "Do you have to leave just yet?" His question hinted at the vulnerable boy who was always hovering just beneath the surface, rarely trusting that people would stay with him.

"A few more minutes won't hurt," Rachel replied, her breath tickling at Noah's neck.

Fifteen minutes later, Sarah and Hiram found the couple in each other's arms talking softly. Rachel's head was rested on Noah's chest while he lazily traced random shapes on her back.

"Hi Daddy, hi Sarah," Rachel said brightly, not moving from her place close to Noah, nor feeling the slightest bit guilty at being caught out of bed. She was, at last, exactly where she was supposed to be.

**A.N. I really really really hope that this chapter met with all of your approval and that the 'Puckleberry' scenes were worth the wait?!**

**Now for some shout outs to my reviewers who have no PM enabled;**

**'Vanessaray' I hope this chp was 'feel good' enough for you?! Your comments always push me to work that bit harder.**

**'Guest' Finn is both paralyzed and going to jail. He will be in a secure medical unit that is part of a prison complex. Sorry for any confusion.**

**'Stranger888' I hope you approved of the sweet moments in this chapter? Thank you for your kind review.**

**'BT' The glee family is all kinds of awesome and with Will and Finn soon to be out of the picture there are no more weak links to tear it apart :)**

**'On-Eno' I do believe you will find the next chp interesting based on one of the questions you asked in your last review.**

**As ever I would like to thank each of you for reading, and please feel free to tell me your thoughts, your suggestions or any comments you have for me. ~Carrie**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**A.N. My thanks as always to all of you for reading/following and reviewing this story.**

**Thanks also to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being an amazing beta.**

Hiram and Leroy had just spent their first full night away from their daughter since she had been admitted to hospital. Rachel had insisted that she would be well guarded by Noah; that they needed to look after their own health; and that, while she appreciated having them by her side, she could see the toll the lack of rest was having on them. In the end, Leroy and Hiram had only agreed, and even then very reluctantly, when Sarah Puckerman had told them that she too was going to go home for the night. Neither of Rachel's fathers had slept all that well, both men half expecting a call from the hospital at any time, but as they prepared for the day ahead it seemed as if Rachel had had a peaceful night.

Leroy was just walking into the kitchen, where his husband was talking on the phone, when the doorbell rang. Wondering who could be visiting so early on a Saturday morning, he was both surprised and happy to see a group of Rachel's friends. Most were carrying large bags that appeared to be filled with art supplies and bolts of fabric, while, from his vantage point, Leroy could see that there were two boxes in the back of Mike's truck, their contents hidden from view. "Hey everyone, please come in," he greeted them warmly, moving aside to allow them cross over the threshold. "Why don't you leave your things in the hall? There is fresh coffee brewing and maybe you would like to tell us what you have planned." He knew from the look on Brittany's face that this was more than just a social visit.

"Should we have called ahead?" Santana asked, sounding guilty in case they had disturbed the men.

"Not at all. You know that you are always welcome here," Leroy replied quickly, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. "You know it takes me at least one cup of coffee to feel fully human."

"If you like, I can make you a proper breakfast," Brittany offered.

"I think that it's high time we cooked for you," Hiram said as he hung up the phone, pleased to see the gleeks back in the house for the first time in days. "Noah says hello, but wanted me to remind you that your project is only a surprise if Rachel doesn't know about it." At Brittany's frown, Hiram continued, "I think he only meant that he heard you in the background and I gather that you are meant to be somewhere else?"

"That's right; I told Rachel I was going to go straight home from the hospital, but I had to make sure everything was under control here," Brittany explained as she set about making a large bowl of pancake batter. Santana was setting the table, while Tina prepared fillings for the tasty breakfast treats. Knowing that there would be an explanation soon, Leroy and Hiram enjoyed the cheerful sounds that permeated through the underlying tension that still seemed to linger in the house. Truthfully, it was this atmosphere that had made them so reluctant to spend any unnecessary time in their home.

"So," Artie began, producing his trusty laptop and a sheaf of what looked to be blueprints. "We hope that you don't mind, but we had this idea, or rather we decided to expand on our original idea of redecorating the choir room."

"We thought we could make over the basement, make it less scary not only for Rach but also Quinn, Kurt and Noah," Mercedes spoke. "We can never take away their memories but we can hopefully give them a place that they can feel safe in again. Obviously, it is up to you both to approve, but we really wanted to get started so that it would be ready for when Rachel gets home."

"That is such a beautiful, thoughtful gift," Leroy said, once again thankful that Rachel had found herself this amazing group of friends.

"We got a lot of the basic supplies already and are ready to get started," Lauren told them. "And I know that Noah had already asked some of the boys to help him with a project of his own."

"Yes, he had mentioned it to us," Hiram told her. "I did order the materials but, with everything else, they haven't been collected. Would you like to focus on the basement for the time being?" He directed the question mainly at Mike and Sam, who agreed to his suggestion.

"Can I see some of your ideas?" Leroy asked, and soon the kitchen was filled with excited conversations, as the teens conferred with Rachel's parents on everything, from colour charts to whether or not it would be possible to knock down a wall and put in a new window (which was suggested by Brittany, who had a clear idea of exactly what she wanted).

"I don't think that we have enough time for that, B," Santana said. "Plus, the Daddies Berry would need special permission and we want this done as soon as possible."

Britt was not put out at all, merely pointing out that Sam's choice of purple would clash with the sofa they had already picked out, and so would he mind choosing another shade that would work!

As the kitchen clock chimed, Leroy told them that he and Hiram had some errands to run, but that the group could remain there and get started. Hiram suggested that Brittany get a few hours rest, the girl having undertaken what she referred to as 'Puckleberry Watch' the night before. In other words, she had arrived at the hospital to ensure that Leroy, Hiram and Sarah actually left, checked that Noah and Rachel were comfortable, and then had set about guarding them as them slept. "The basement will take some time to be prepped, and you did promise Rachel," Hiram said to her, noting Santana's grateful look at this comment.

With a reminder that that they would not be too far away, the men left the house and made their way to the office of the District Attorney, Christian Fox, for a meeting both men had been eagerly anticipating. The same sentiment was not shared by Will Schuester, who had spent an uncomfortable ten minutes sitting at the opposite end of a conference room, his attorney by his side, while at the far end of the room, Carole and Burt Hummel spoke quietly together. The couple had not said a single word to the former teacher of their sons, acting as if they were alone. Hiram and Leroy were led into the room by Mr Fox, the D.A. All three men felt the uneasiness of the other occupants, but aside from a nod of acknowledgement, silence remained.

As the Berries were seated across the table from the Carole and Burt, Ms Scott enquired if either she or her client were ever going to be told the reason why this meeting had been called. Mr Fox was quick to call everyone to attention, introducing the stenographer who would record all that was said, and then he pointed out that they were all being filmed. "This," he stressed, "is for the benefit of all present, so that there will be no misunderstandings at a later date."

Momentarily appeased, Ms Scott seemed to relax, though Will's anxiety was apparent from his body language; one of his hands clung so tightly to the armrest on his chair that his knuckles had turned white.

"I would like to thank you all for agreeing to be here, in what are very unusual but also very troubling circumstances," the district attorney said. "At the request of the Hummels and the Berries, it is proposed that a traditional court session be substituted for this meeting, where Mr Schuester's crimes and jail term can be decided on, in order that the victims' privacy will be protected.

"Now wait just a minute; what crime? What victims?" Will shouted, jumping from his chair.

"Mr Schuester, kindly remember your manners," Mr Fox spoke slowly. "You may feel as if you are being wronged, but I assure you that this is in your own best interests. If you will allow me to continue uninterrupted then I am sure that you will come to agree with me."

Looking very sceptical, Will took his seat, whispering frantically to his lawyer for guidance before politely asking Mr Fox to proceed, even if it took a lot of effort to keep his anger out of his voice.

"Mr Schuester, there are two charges against you and I feel that I should inform you that I am in possession of more than enough evidence to guarantee successful convictions on both counts should I be forced to take the more traditional route." Mr Fox took a sip of water, giving Will a few moments to absorb what he had just been told.

"My client would like to know what exactly he is being charged with, and why we are only hearing about this now," Ms Scott spoke.

"As I have stated already, this is unusual case. However, your client was warned twice about the very real possibility of charges being brought against him. To clarify: there is one count of supplying alcohol to a minor and one count of witness intimidation."

"This is ridiculous. It's a witch hunt, I tell you." Again, Will did nothing to try and hide his anger.

"Mr Schuester, I want you to listen to me very carefully," Mr Fox began, only for Leroy to catch his attention.

"Perhaps I can explain things a bit better to Mr Schuester," he suggested and, at Mr Fox's sign of agreement, Leroy turned to face Will. "From what I have heard, you became a teacher to educate students not only in your chosen subject but also about the wider world, to offer guidance and assistance as these vulnerable teens try to navigate their way through this stage of their lives. You use words like respect, tolerance, equality, freedom and family, while encouraging them to be themselves no matter what obstacles they may face. Correct?" Will flinched at the cold fury barely hidden by Leroy's speech and could only silently acknowledge the truth of his words. "And, in spite of your great intentions, your hopes to be a positive influence, you ultimately failed because you didn't choose to practice what you teach. I'm sure that you have, in your own opinion, justifiable reasons for why it was acceptable to treat my daughter as you did. I don't refer to the many times you made her feel selfish for wanting to excel at her chosen career, or for wanting to surround herself with people who would push her, keep her working hard to perfect her craft, strengthen her voice and who would understand her drive and ambition. Nor am I speaking about the times you tried to make her change, how many occasions you let her go home in despair because she saw in your eyes that she was not worthy of your time unless you had something to gain." Leroy paused as he remembered the nights he had found Rachel crying herself to sleep, after yet another 'life lesson' from Mr Schuester. "What I am referring to is the evening you saw fit to come to our house, even though you had been told to stay away. You came to our home, shouting abuse, causing additional distress for Rachel, because yet again you failed to see the real her. You act like you are a victim, yet saw no harm in approaching the real victim and triggering a panic attack that made her relive her horrific assault, an assault so brutal that she will never fully heal, no matter how many years pass."

"I admit that I shouldn't have gone to your house that night and I shouldn't have spoken to her the way I did, in front of the club, but I was just trying to save Finn from having his life ruined by her lies," Will said, his voice trailing off at the outraged responses from the majority of the people in the room.

"Leroy? If I may," Carole spoke for the first time. "Mr Schuester, I am not sure why you think that you are my son's saviour, because you are not, but more importantly I can't believe that you still think that Rachel is lying. I am his mother, and though it pains me to say this out loud, the truth is that Finn attacked Rachel at least twice that we know of. You are not doing him or yourself any favours interfering in things you clearly don't understand." As Will went to interrupt, Carole spoke again. "No, I have had enough of this. We all have. Finn is going to prison for his crimes, and so are you. Now, you can go to court, have all of your secrets exposed, have the whole world learn that a disturbed teen exploited and manipulated you to the point where you traumatised an innocent girl and get the maximum sentence for the original charges, plus anything else that Leroy can have thrown at you. Or, you take the deal you are being offered, and never, under any circumstances, have any contact with any of our children, or our families." Carole's voice shock as she reached the end of her speech, but it seemed as if for once Will had actually listened.

"What are you offering?" Ms Scott asked.

"Six months and a thousand dollar fine for the alcohol charge. Two and a half years for the witness intimidation," Mr Fox outlined, "to be served consecutively and with the added inclusion of an agreement that Mr Schuester will not approach or attempt to make contact of any type with Ms Berry, her family and a list of other people associated with this case. Furthermore, he will not discuss or disclose any information regarding what has happened. The privacy of the true victims is to be protected at all costs and any failures on Mr Schuester's part will result in more penalties." Mr Fox was very businesslike in his manner, going through each point slowly, pausing in case either Will or Ms Scott had questions.

"If I agree, when does my sentence begin?" Will asked quietly.

"It will take approximately three weeks for all the legal aspects to be taken care of. You will be given a date to meet with a judge to formally enter your plea and be sentenced. This should give you enough time to put your affairs in order. Should you, for whatever reason, decide to turn down the deal, the process will take slightly longer. The no-contact order is in place no matter what decision you reach here today and it will be very strictly enforced. If no one else has anything else to say, then I think we should take a thirty minute recess. Mr Schuester, Ms Scott, you may have the room."

A knock sounded on the door, which opened to reveal an assistant of Mr Fox, who brought in a portable DVD player. Hiram took out a DVD from his jacket pocket, which he gave to Will. "Perhaps that might help you finally see the truth, even if I don't you think you deserve that privilege. I will, however, do whatever I have to in order to protect my daughter. You need to see these images and hear what Finn really thinks of you." With those final words, Hiram turned and walked out of the room, not allowing Will to say anything in response.

The teacher was in shock, trying to desperately make sense of the chaos that seemed to have taken control of his life. He really didn't want to watch whatever propaganda Rachel had convinced her dads to produce, but Ms Scott told him that it was in his best interests to appear cooperative whatever his personal misgivings were. The sudden change in his attorney's behaviour worried him, so, after taking a drink from his now-cold cup of coffee, he pressed play.

Almost immediately, the screen was filled with colour images of ugly, painful-looking bruises that marred Rachel's small frame. These stills were accompanied by a chilling soundtrack, as haltingly Rachel's voice explained just how each mark came to be on her body. Or maybe it wasn't Rachel, Will thought to himself. The Rachel he knew was vibrant and full of life; her speaking voice always had a melodic quality to it that hinted slightly at the rich, distinctive singing voice she had been gifted with. Whoever had provided the voice-over to the graphic photo show was broken, frightened and haunted - certainly not words he would use to describe Rachel Berry, the self-proclaimed future star.

Before he could share his thoughts with Ms Scott, the last imaged disappeared to be replaced by a brief video of Rachel talking to a woman who Will recognised. Even though his eyes were telling him that this was his lead singer, there was something seriously wrong with her and with the footage as a whole, but deep down Will struggled to acknowledge that the tiny voice belonged to Rachel. He experienced a brief flash of a forgotten memory, momentarily seeing Rachel in the choir room wearing an oversized hoody that swamped her figure, looking anywhere else but at Finn, and the tiny spark of doubt he had felt then came hurtling back to him now. Will was not given time to examine this sudden and unsettling feeling as, once again, the images on screen changed; a sulking, pouting Finn was talking to one of the detectives who had also questioned Will. The former teacher was too busy listening to what Finn was saying to pay too much attention to the fact that the interview was taking place in a hospital room.

"_You asked to see me Mr Hudson?" Detective Oliver's voice was polite but lacking any real respect for the boy in front of him. _

"_Yes, I want to know what Mr Schue will be charged." _

_"I'm afraid I don't understand." _

"_My mother told me that he was being investigated for what he did to me." Finn said slowly, treating the officer as if he were stupid. _

"_Yes, that is correct. Mr Schuester will be question again and possibly charged at a future date." _

"_Possibly charged? After what that man did to me? That's just not good enough, do you hear me?" _

"_Mr Hudson, there is no need to speak to me like that." _

_"There is every need. That man helped to ruin my life. He made promises that he didn't keep. He had one job – _one – _but even that was too much for that clown. I practically delivered Puck to him - all he had to do was kick the manwhore out of __glee club - but oh no, Schue let his feelings for the ginger nutcase cloud his judgement and let the club think that they had any say in what happens in my choir room. I'm in charge. Me. Finn Hudson. Not Puck or Santana." _

"_Or Mr Schuester?" Detective Oliver asked. _

"_Him? He is the worst of the lot. I only joined his freak show because I could see how easy it would be to use him, to keep Sue busy so that she wouldn't pay too __much attention to me. He believed everything I told him; it was so simple but when I really needed him, he let me be trapped. He didn't protect me. Now do you understand why he needs to be charged? If I'm going to be stuck in a jail cell for trying to claim what was rightfully mine, he needs to experience the same treatment so that when he gets out, his guilt at what he's let happen to me, will destroy him." _

Finn continued to rant on screen for a minute more, but Will had heard enough and switched the DVD player off. Not fully able to comprehend what he had just watched - the juxtaposition of the anguished Rachel and the snarling Finn too much for his sensibilities to take in - he spoke softly to Ms Scott. "Tell them that I will accept the deal, that I will sign any paperwork I have to, but that I respectfully ask for some time by myself." The attorney went to seek out the District Attorney, putting her client's request for time to him, and with the families' agreement, Mr Fox accompanied Ms Scott back to the conference room.

Relieved that they would not need to see Mr Schuester again either that day or any other if that was their wish, the Berries and the Hummels travelled to the hospital, their next task still weighing heavily on their minds.

**A.N. I know that some of you felt as if Mr Schue was getting away with his earlier actions so I hope that this chapter addressed the matter enough for you all?! **

**As is tradition some replies to those reviewers without PM available to them.**

**'SciFiGal63': Thanks for the continued support :)**

**'Guest': Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot.**

**'BT': Too much angst is never good, so I do try and balance it with Puckleberry magic ;)**

**'On-Eno': Noah's lost few minutes will be found next chp so no need to worry on that score. Leroy's foreit is kinda cute IMHO but I await your verdict! **

**'oxymoron8': Your question about Finn should be answered in the next couple of chapters.**

**'vanessaray': Thanks for the great grade:) If only I were still in school it might be an excuse for the slow pace of my writing these days. I think you will find the next chapter interesting based on a question you asked in your review. **

**I am looking forward, as always, to hearing your thoughts, suggestions and comments on this chapter. ~Carrie**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**A.N. My thanks to you all for reading, following and reviewing this story.**

**I am beyond grateful to xXLittle RoseAngelXx for giving so freely of her time to edit each chapter.**

"It's a lot to take in. I would have told you sooner," Carole said carefully, watching for any sign of distress or unease in any of the four teens. Kurt and Quinn were sitting close to her, while Rachel and Noah remained in their beds, the discussion about Finn taking place in their hospital room. It had been at Rachel's insistence that Kurt and Quinn were included in the conversation; they had just as much right to know the full story.

"It seems likely that Finn will spend the first few years in the medical unit, but it is very secure and within the grounds of an actual prison complex," Hiram told them. "We can, if you would like, arrange for you to see pictures of the facility. It may help you feel less on edge knowing that escape is not possible." This last suggestion had been a recommendation from Dr Smyth, who had been consulted prior to the news about Finn being broken.

"Think about it; you can always ask me to arrange it should any of you change your minds later on," Leroy said gently, wishing he knew what was going through their heads just then, all four reacting differently to the information. Quinn was crying in her mother's arms, relief evident on her face. Kurt had held his dad's hand while he listened, before slowly approaching Carole, his fear of being rejected by his step mother for his role in Finn's downfall swept away the moment he found himself embraced lovingly by her. She whispered words of comfort and reassurance in his ear, and the knowledge that his family could overcome any difficulties was more valuable to him than he could say.

Rachel and Noah were having one of their silent conversations. Their beds had been pushed side by side earlier and they were holding hands as they looked at one another. Now, both were trying to understand everything they had been told, wondering if it was really possible that Finn would be banished from their lives. Certainly, knowing that he was physically incapable of hurting anyone again or of appearing suddenly to get revenge was something. Rachel let out a sigh, the failure of her brain or her heart to find the words she needed frustrating her.

"Ray?" Noah asked her, his thumb running tenderly across her knuckles. His one-word question let her know that she was not alone in her confusion.

"I always thought hearing that he was being locked up would make me feel better. Safe. Relieved. But all I can feel is guilt, because I'm the reason that he is in that chair. I wanted him to never be able to cause pain again, to never be able to do to someone else what he did to me. But I didn't want him to be imprisoned by his own body." Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to straighten out her thoughts and turn them into words. "It's not the same, I know, but every time I have one of my attacks, when I can't make my brain and body work how I need or want them to, it's beyond scary - the constant worry that your body is going to work against you, what it leaves you vulnerable to. I'd never wish that on anybody, no matter what terrible things they did to me. And knowing that I'm the one who is ultimately responsible because I stabbed him; I put him in that chair." Rachel broke off, her body shaking from the force of her tears. Her dads watched helplessly as Noah did his best to console her.

"Ray, please, I need you to listen to me," he said softly, waiting for her to look at him. "I don't think that this is your fault. When Dr Mac was explaining how Finn's injuries were caused he said that it took a lot of strength to lodge the knife. Remember?" Slowly she blinked back her tears, recalling the words of the doctor. "Even with a surge of adrenaline, I don't think that it is possible for you to have stabbed him that hard."

"But then what did happen?" Rachel asked, knowing that Noah would never give her false hope and would never lie to her, even to spare her feelings or to erase her guilt.

"I can't be sure, but what if you had the knife, got it away from Finn somehow - probably when he and I were fighting. It seems more plausible that I pushed him away from me and on to the knife so that he was impaled on it and not stabbed by it."

"That scenario would make more sense that any of the others we have been basing his injuries on," Dr Mac confirmed. This was the first time that any of the victims involved had spoken out loud about the last altercation in the basement.

"There is another way to find out," Leroy said suddenly, feeling foolish for not thinking of having the footage from Jacob's hidden camera examined. He had automatically assumed that Finn's medical team would have been told about it and consulted it during his treatment.

"Please, Dad, I need to know," Rachel pleaded.

"Darling, I'll go now and get the information for you. I'm only sorry that you had to go through this."

"I think, Dad, whatever you discover, I will always feel guilty. I don't think that will ever fade, but I need to know for certain."

"Me too," Noah added, even though his missing memory was slowly filtering back. He could remember all too clearly the feel of Finn's hands wrapped around his throat, the turbulent sounds of Rachel and Quinn as they begged Finn to stop before, with what he believed to be his last breath, he drew on some last reserve of strength and pushed Finn away with all of his might before darkness claimed him. Rachel's fingers caressed his arm gently, bringing Noah back to the present; the soft touch of her skin on his banished the chill that had set in with the return of his memory.

"Maybe, while we wait for Leroy and Dr Mac to return, we could discuss any other concerns you may have," Carole said slowly. She had been greatly affected by the sadness of Rachel's earlier words, but also by the way the girl had empathised with Finn's new situation.

"Remember, there is nothing you can't say to any of us. Or, if you would prefer, Sue, Emma and Dr Smyth have all offered to listen to you," Hiram added, watching the response of all four teens, not just Rachel.

"How much of what happened is public knowledge?" Quinn asked. She had been aware of the pointed looks and the hushed conversations that paused when people noticed her. Since her experience at Finn's hands, she had not ventured too far from her home, or the hospital, preferring the company of her mother and friends to anyone else. She had been forced to get Leroy to talk some sense into her father, when the man had again threatened to have Quinn taken away from Judy, conveniently forgetting that his daughter had repeatedly told him to stay away from her. Therefore, the last thing she needed or wanted to have to deal with was the gossips of Lima who had never fully let her forget her role in Babygate, and who were still under the thrall of Finn's Golden Child persona. Quinn realised that, in order to bring that illusion crashing down, it would probably require broadcasting all of his recent transgressions, but she felt that it was unfair to Rachel, who should be protected from any scandal or idle gossip.

"I won't lie to you, Quinn; people are talking, trying to guess the truth and speculating," Hiram said. "Right now, the number of people who know the full story is limited and it is up to you to decide what, if anything, we say publically."

"Daddy, what do you think we should do?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Star, as much as I would love to tell you, unfortunately the choice must rest with you," Hiram replied sadly.

"And we can't ignore the issue either, because we all know how much Lima loves to gossip, and it will be a free for all when Finn doesn't come back to school," Kurt said, resigned to the fact that a private matter couldn't stay that way.

"Can we not just say that due to legal reasons we are all bound by a confidentiality clause?" Quinn suggested.

"Do you think, Carole," Rachel began hesitantly, "that Finn will let anyone know what has happened to him?"

"I know how much he values his reputation and his legacy, so it seems so unlikely that he would appreciate anyone finding out about his injuries," Noah said.

"Or where his treatment is taking place," Carole added, a hint of a solution appearing.

"I think maybe Quinn's idea might just work, if you are all prepared to put up with the stories and whispers," Hiram stated.

"No matter what we say, that reaction is inevitable. I would rather have time to recover and to heal before having to deal with people who don't know me or understand what any of us have been through. Is that selfish of me?" Rachel said, addressing her question to the room at large.

"Actually, Rach, I think that you are well within your rights. It is nobody's business but yours. Ours, even," Kurt told her, the look on his face suggesting that he wasn't sharing all of his thoughts with them.

"Spill, Kurt, you have your 'I'm busy secretly plotting' face on," Noah said, admitting to himself that he had missed that side of Kurt, even if it did usually signal the beginning of some crazy plan.

"Yes, share, Kurt," Rachel and Quinn urged simultaneously.

"You can't be mad though. Please," the boy insisted before continuing. "We all know how much Lima loves a scandal; they are waiting to hear every last possible detail of the saga, as they mistakenly view this to be. So why don't we give them a scandal, but one of our choosing - one that will fit our needs but will keep the actual truth from them."

For a few minutes the room was silent, as they all thought over the idea.

"It could work," Noah said aloud.

"We would have to be very careful and keep the story simple enough," Quinn warned them, with a hint of her former 'Head Bitch in Charge' attitude.

"Sue would be able to help us; all we would need to do is get Principal Figgins on board. Everyone else involved is covered by confidentiality, right?" Kurt asked looking at the three adults, trying to gauge their reaction.

"We said that we would do whatever you needed," Burt reminded his son.

"Leroy will cover the legal side of things, talk to Mr Figgins and explain to him what will happen if anyone from the school says anything out of turn." Hiram spoke on his husband's behalf, knowing that he would welcome the chance to be proactive.

"While I think that this is a great solution," Carole stated, "I just want you to know that if you did want to tell the town everything I wouldn't blame you. None of you have ever done anything to deserve how Finn treated you. I hate to say this out loud but I know my son; if the situation were reversed, if he thought it would cause you any kind of pain or suffering, he wouldn't stay silent."

"No, it's better this way, for all of us." Rachel was adamant that she would protect Carole and Burt from the gossipmongers, as they were as much innocent victims of Finn's as she was.

"Sue will be in later; you can discuss your ideas with her and I imagine that she'll have some suggestions as well," Hiram said, happier now that this decision had been made and that Rachel had played a role in making it. Knowing that she and Noah would soon be released from the hospital, he was growing worried about how both would adjust to being out of the protective bubble the hospital had been providing them. He knew that it would be unsettling for Rachel when Noah eventually returned to his own house, his daughter having understandably, grown reliant on having him by her side. That, however, was a discussion for another day; he and Leroy knew that Noah would never take advantage of the trust they had placed in him. They also knew that Noah wanted to see Rachel regain her lost confidence and her faith in herself, and hopefully, with Finn soon to be in jail, she would feel safe enough so that her debilitating panic attacks would decrease in both strength and frequency. Hiram also believed that, as much as Noah liked being by Rachel's side, he would much rather prefer being there because they had reached that stage in their relationship on their own terms.

Hiram was drawn from his musings by the sound of Rachel calling to him, and he focussed on her again. "Sorry, Star; what did I miss?"

"It's okay, Daddy," she replied. "Dr Smyth was talking to Sarah earlier and she has volunteered to provide counselling session for us. Now that the investigation is almost over, there are no more conflicts of interest to prevent her from helping us. Isn't that great news?" Hiram was delighted to hear this, remembering the psychologist's gentle and sensitive manner when she had taken Rachel's statement.

"She is going to visit when Sue is here and she has already spoken with Ms P about ways to help us in school," Quinn told him. Hiram was reminded once more that Rachel was not the only one left with mental scars and, in a strange way, the knowledge that she was not alone comforted him, though he immediately felt guilty for having such thoughts.

"Dr Smyth is going to be a great asset to you all, Quinn. I'm sure of that," Hiram replied.

Just then, Leroy and Dr Mac returned, the doctor holding what seemed to be X-rays in his hand. "Sorry that we were gone so long, but I wanted to be one hundred percent sure of the facts before speaking with you," Dr Mac said. "Thanks to the new information, it is clear that no one single person is responsible for Finn's injuries. Without using too much medical jargon, it was a combination of the angle of the blade, the force with which Finn's spine made contact with the knife and how he was holding his body at the specific moment of impact." The doctor paused, watching as Rachel and Noah tried to process what he had just said. "It was an accident; the smallest change in either of the factors I mentioned would have resulted in a different outcome. But, and this is important, even if Noah pushed Finn with less force, or if the knife had entered his body at a different angle or if Finn himself had was in a different position, the end result would still have been a spinal injury."

"Sneaking in, having the knife, holding you captive - Finn is the one who set all this in motion, which means that he is fully responsible to what has happened to him. Not you, Rachel, or you Noah," Carole said. "So please, for my sake, let go of your guilt and stop blaming yourselves. Concentrate instead on your own recoveries, on living life to the fullest. You all, the four of you, deserve to be happy. Please."

Kurt and Quinn hugged Carole as she reached the end of her heartfelt plea, while Noah and Rachel had to wait, impatiently for their turn.

"Carole is right," Burt told them. "There is still a long journey ahead of us all, but if you don't let go it go, the guilt will eat you up and that won't help any of us."

"This might sound silly, in light of everything else," Quinn started to speak, "but ever since I was trapped in the basement, I've been unable to drive past Rachel's house. And I love your house, Rach."

"I get that, Q; it's like I'm so scared of going back to school, of having to go to the library, or the corridor that the locker room is on. One of my classes is on that same corridor so I can't avoid it, yet just the idea of going there fills me with dread," Rachel confessed, opening up for the first time. "The thing is, Q, I know that I will eventually have to walk into the library and all the other places that are now reminders of Finn - good and bad. I don't want fear to win, I don't, but I'm also not sure how I am going to get past it. It's not as if Principal Figgins will let us redecorate the entire school."

"Unfortunately," Kurt mumbled.

The parents in the room were watching the interaction of their children, proud that they had brought up their concerns and worries without prompting, and that they were able to acknowledge their need for help. "What you have to remember, all of you, is that you have so many people ready to help in any way possible. So yes, while you can't have the layout of the school changed we can make sure that someone who understands is in that class with you. Or maybe have the class moved to a new venue without explanation to the other students," Burt told them.

"Plus, Dr Smyth will speak to Principal Figgins and the relevant people to ensure that your transition back to school or even back to our house is achieved in a way that suits you all," Hiram added.

"And the help will be available to the entire club so you needn't worry about someone being overlooked. All the parents are up to speed and we all want what is best for you," Carole concluded.

Suddenly, Rachel yawned loudly. The action caused her to blush scarlet in embarrassment, but she couldn't deny that she was tired.

"Okay, everyone, I think that's our signal to give the patients some rest. It has been an emotional and strenuous afternoon for you all," Dr Mac declared. Soon Rachel and Noah were alone again, having exchanged goodbyes with their visitors, Carole having given each a long hug while whispering words of reassurance to them.

"Ray? You need anything?" Noah asked her. He got a reply in the form of Rachel snuggling up close to him, Brittany's trusty blanket covering her. "Wanna talk?" he asked.

"Not just yet," came Rachel's soft reply. "I just want to lie here beside you and forget about the real world, just for a little while." As she spoke, Rachel ran her fingertips up and down Noah's arm before catching his hand and entwining it with her own. "I love you, Noah," she whispered, her eyes drifting closed as she gave into her tiredness.

"I love you too, Ray." Noah replied, watching over his girl for a few minutes, ensuring that she was sleeping peacefully, before delicately kissing her forehead. Content that her dreams were uneventful, he allowed himself rest, soon falling asleep. Like Rachel, he dreamt, catching glimpses of their future and the bliss that was waiting for them.

**A.N. I know that some of you were sad by the lack of Puckleberry in the last chapter so I hope this makes up for it?!**

**'vanessaray': Please know I welcome any and all questions, and I hope this chapter answered your last ones? **

**'On-Eno': Britt's forfeit will be in the nxt chapter. I think there was little chance of Will letting his case go to court, because essentially he is a coward, at least in my eyes.**

**I would just like to let you know that there is only one more chapter left of this particular story. That is not to say that this is the end of this universe because already the muse has at least three seperate ideas that I am outlining at the moment. **

**I am also wondering if any of you have prompts or ideas for me. I have a few that people have given me that I am also working on, and it may take me some time to publish them, but I really want to keep writing :)**

**As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on this chapter, as well as any suggestions you have. ~Carrie**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the lyrics mentioned.**

**A.N. I want to say a big THANK YOU to every single person who has read/followed/ and reviewed this story. **

**To the AMAZING xXLittle Rose AngelXx who accepted the challenge of being my beta reader. I just don't have enough words to express properly how much I have valued your dedication and hard work over these past few months. **

Three weeks had passed since Rachel had returned home from the hospital. As she had expected, there had been some challenges to face, trying to lay the past to rest. This was not the easiest of tasks, given what had taken place in her own home. Luckily, she was blessed with an incredible support system, who had worked hard to erase those memories, transforming the scene of Finn's last attack not just for her but also for Noah, Kurt and Quinn. Looking back on the day that she had been allowed home, she remembered not only the excited and hopeful look on her friends' faces as they greeted her, but also Kurt's disbelief that that someone had dared to undertake a design and makeover project without his expertise. After a very thorough examination of the handiwork of the group, he had given his approval to the scheme and had only one constructive comment on what he saw as a glaring omission.

"_Honestly, you've had all this time to get the space finished and not one of you got a picture of Noah and Rachel together?" Kurt joked. It had been an unspoken rule not to mention the change in relationship between the couple, almost as if they were afraid to tempt fate. It had been obvious that both Rachel and Noah were happy, and yet they were not prone to grand public displays of affection or broadcasting their new closeness. _

"_I think you need to look a bit closer, Kurt," Blaine said teasingly, drawing his boyfriend's attention to some childhood pictures that the three parents had contributed to the gleeks makeover._

"_I never knew you had such perfect curls, Noah," Santana quipped, laughing when her friend spotted a second vintage picture. _

"_If I'm not mistaken, I think that was taken just after I'd been pushed into someone's pool. Chlorine and my hair do not mix all that well, judging by the serious 'fro I'm rocking," Noah replied good-humouredly, letting everyone know that Rachel was his mysterious assailant._

"_You could always let the 'hawk grow out," Rachel said aloud, before lowering her voice and whispering in his ear. "You know I've always loved running my fingers through your hair." She watched as his eyes widened slightly at this remark. _

"_I do believe that I will be free whenever the urge should strike you," he whispered back, enjoying the way Rachel's cheeks blushed prettily as they flirted innocently with one another. _

"_Why does it feel like an Elton John song in here?" Sue's voice broke through the __various conversations that were taking place in the room, and, although she would never admit it, she was just as pleased to see the loving moments between the couple. _

"_Because Puckleberry is all kinds of awesome," Brittany answered Sue's question, before checking with her mentor that she had gotten the reference correct. "Though the no worries song would have worked just as well, I think." She watched as her friends and the extended glee family admired the transformation of the basement. At Leroy and Hiram's instructions, no expense had been spared so that the room was unrecognisable to anyone who had spent time in it, either before, during or after Finn's rampage._

Even with the changes that had been made to the room, Rachel rarely went into unless others were with her. This, Dr Smyth - or Dee, as she insisted on being called - had told Rachel, was to be expected, reminding her to not put any pressure on herself to recover by a set date.

Slowly, Rachel had been trying to get back into a normal routine, or as close to normal as she could. After her parents had spoken to Principal Figgins, it had been agreed that she would only spend a few hours at school to begin with. This was to give her an opportunity to get used to being around large numbers of people and the louder noises associated with a busy school. Rachel was to be given plenty of time to catch up on missed assignments and deadlines, with the majority of her teachers only too happy to oblige her fathers' request. One teacher had refused to be accommodating, telling Principal Figgins that he needed a better excuse than personal reasons to allow the extension. He had soon found himself with three less students, as both Mercedes and Lauren stood by their friend, not allowing her to be bullied into revealing anything about her personal life to a man who was a known gossip.

The student body had been talking and speculating about Rachel's return to school, wondering why Finn was still absent and if the two were somehow linked. Luckily, two events soon took the attention away from Rachel. One was the decision of Quinn and Sam to go public with their relationship. The second was a Slushie facial that went awry after Sue stepped in front of the intended target, Kurt. Only a select group of people knew that no accident had happened; rather, Sue had set herself up so that she could declare war on the tradition and take the bullies of McKinley to task, without any one student being blamed.

The cheerleading coach had been ruthless in her campaign to gather up all those who had ever thrown a Slushie, or engaged in any other form of bullying. Noah made no attempt to avoid his punishment, the boy gladly dismantling the numerous slushie machines in the school so they no longer posed a threat, the cold drink no longer permitted anywhere near the school campus. Sue also restarted the 'Bully Whips', introducing a strict discipline code which had her own special brand of punishment so that within a week, her efforts were starting to show.

With all these changes in the school, the students were so focused on not enduring the wrath of Sue that Finn's absence no longer seemed to matter, and there had been no mention of the fact that Mr Schuester appeared to have left the school as well. For Rachel, the best part of this was that her relationship with Noah went generally unnoticed. It wasn't that she was ashamed to be with him, but she didn't want to experience the same kind of scrutiny she had endured in the past.

As a part of Finn's efforts to keep Rachel isolated and dependent on him, he had made it seem as if she were a crazed, jealous, stalked type girlfriend who had to show all the other students that Finn was off the market by clinging desperately to him anytime they were in public. In reality, Rachel was just the opposite, having little time for fake shows of togetherness. She had never felt strong enough to say this to Finn due to his constant jibes and poisonous words that slowly killed her self esteem. With Noah, however, it was completely different. It was a relationship of equals. He knew how she felt about him and was content to have her hold his hand, or even just sit by his side, her small hand resting gently on his forearm. To an outside observer, these might seem very casual gestures, but in public it was all that either needed, or wanted. Once they were sure that the other was doing okay, there was no need to be clingy, no need for declarations of ownership. Every touch they shared, every caress, every look, every glance was to communicate how much they loved and respected each other; neither would ever dream of cheapening what they had with a gratuitous display. Sure ,they generally sat together in their shared classes, or at breaks, but there were days when Noah had a study session with Artie, or Rachel was watching the Brittany led Cheerios practice, and it was enough to know that they were within walking distance of each other.

Today, Rachel was taking another important step in her recovery, visiting the choir room for the first time since Finn and Mr Schue had been taken into police custody. It would be her first opportunity to see how her friends had renovated the room, and the entire glee family were having a small celebration to mark the occasion, as well as welcoming Emma and Sue as New Directions' new co-directors. Her dad had just collected her from a counselling appointment with Dr Smyth, and they were meeting Hiram at the school. Leroy noticed that Rachel was quieter than normal after one of her sessions but, as Dr Smyth had warned him, he left her to her thoughts. As they reached the school car park, he was relieved when Rachel unbuckled her seat belt and took his hand.

"Tough hour?" he asked.

"It was worth it, though. I guess I've been keeping things to myself again, trying to be brave." Leroy let his daughter take her time, noting that her body seemed less tense than it had earlier that day. "I thought that people needed a break from my troubles, that it was time for some normality for us all."

"And now?"

"Dee helped me to see that I was still letting some of Finn's words get to me. He accused me of being selfish the whole time, of always wanting to be the centre of attention. I'm honest enough to know that it wasn't all lies on his part, but I took it a bit too far, bottling things up just to prove him wrong. Dee keeps reminding me that there is no rush and that I'm not in a race, and that, in the long term, I could do more harm to my loved ones if I shut them out now, even if I'm just trying to think of them. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this right."

"I think I understand most of it, Darling, but I can see how Finn's words would have twisted things in your head. Just remember that we all love you and will always be honest with you about how we are feeling. We just need you to do the same, okay?"

As her father's words soaked in, Rachel felt as if she could breathe a little bit easier, felt her inner strength increase and realised that with every passing day she was rebuilding the self-belief that Finn's abuse had torn down.

"Do you want to postpone, or wait a bit longer before we go in?" Leroy asked, wondering to himself if it was such a good idea for Rachel to attempt this visit, after such an emotionally draining therapy session.

"Thanks, Dad, but this is something I need and want to do today."

Seeing the determination on his daughter's face, Leroy just moved closer and hugged her briefly. "I'm so proud of you, Darling."

Kissing his check, Rachel returned her father's embrace, enjoying the time with him. The sound of 'My Cup' filled the car suddenly, causing Leroy to jump slightly before reaching into his pocket to get his phone. "Yes, Brittany, we have just arrived, we'll be there in a few minutes." The conversation continued, Rachel catching a few words from Britt's end of the line, curious about some of her dad's replies. "Of course, Brittany, you were very clear with your instructions, and Mercedes was very helpful. I'll talk to you about the rest when I see you in person." Ending the call, Leroy put his phone away, opened the car door and exited the vehicle, his face tinged with the slight hint of a blush.

The sound of a giggle escaping from Rachel immediately made him smile. "New ringtone?" she asked innocently. "It's not your usual style."

"I may have lost a wager to Brittany," he replied cagily.

"Oh, Dad, when will you learn never to bet against Britt? You really should have remembered what happened the last time."

Delighted to see Rachel's humour more carefree, Leroy just shrugged his shoulders, walking silently beside her as they approached the building. On the front steps, they found Blaine and Kurt waiting to escort them the rest of the way.

"Rach, Mr B, you're here at last," Kurt greeted them.

"You ready, Rach?" Blaine asked, and in response Rachel offered her hand to the boy and the group made their way to the choir room, where the rest of the club and their guests were waiting.

All held their breath, eager to see Rachel's reaction to the transformed room. Wordlessly, she walk around, noting all the personal touches that had been added, the lyrics that had been painted on the walls, pictures from some of their various performances and more sheet music than Rachel had ever seen outside of a music store. One feature that really caught her eye was a tree trunk that had been painted onto one wall. "We made up the leaves with our handprints," Tina explained in answer to Rachel's silent question. "As more people join the club, they too can add their prints."

"A glee family tree, it's such a clever idea," Leroy commented.

"Do you see those large grass leaves at the base of the trunk? We thought that each family name would be written there as well." Lauren told Leroy and some of the other parents, who had been surprised by what their children had achieved in such a short amount of time.

"What do you think, Ray?" Noah asked. He had watched his girlfriend's reaction to each new discovery, on full alert in case the situation became too much for her.

"It's wonderful. The room feels like it is really ours now, that we can be free here to truly be ourselves and create new memories," she replied. Almost automatically, their hands found each other, both welcoming the contact. For the next while they walked about the room, Rachel exploring all the hidden details, her gaze resting fondly on Brittany when she spotted 'Puckleberry', 'Klaine' 'Tike' and Fabraevans' amongst the family names on the mural. She had also been pleased to see that Carole was represented; Finn's mother was missing as she was visiting her son in his new home. Burt had taken the time to reassure Rachel that Carole was keeping her spirits up as best she could and was hoping that she and Rachel would meet up soon. In spite of Finn's continued denial of any wrong doings, Rachel still made sure to talk to Carole as much as possible, refusing to allow the woman to isolate herself.

"If I could have everyone's attention for a few minutes please," Emma addressed the group, catching their attention. "Both Sue and I are honoured to have been given the opportunity to work with you all. There is no denying that our family has suffered these past few weeks. We all stood together, protected one another, and for these reasons I am confident that there is no obstacle that we can't face."

"Don't think for one second that I'm going to take it easy on any of you, or give you pep talks that are full of the joys of spring. Consider yourselves warned that I am most definitely the bad cop in this team," Sue announced, although it was clear that the woman had not reverted to her previous bitchy personality. Since she had found out what had happened to Rachel, she had stood by the gleeks, and there was nothing that she would not do for any of them. "I also want to let you know that there is a transfer student who has expressed an interest in joining us. In spite of his rather worrying dependence on hair gel, the boy can sing, plus he has agreed to let me attempt to put his rather bountiful curls in a high ponytail!"

Sue winked at Blaine while Kurt let out a high pitched shriek. "That's your surprise? You've really transferred? But you love Dalton."

"Yeah, what gives, Warbler?" Santana demanded.

"My dad's contract overseas was extended, so my mom is going to join him. I could have stayed at Dalton, but honestly I'd rather be closer to all of you." Blaine explained. A flood of questions were asked simultaneously by the curious teens, the noise level rising until Sue blew her trusty whistle.

When quiet had been restored she spoke again, "Don't worry; you will all have plenty of time to interrogate Mr Teenage Dream, but for now why don't we get on with finishing the tree."

Blaine looked relieved to no longer be under scrutiny; he was looking forward to getting settled in and spending time with Kurt and the rest of his friends. Knowing that he would be helping out Sam and his family had made making his decision all the more easier; the Evans family would be moving into his home, rent free, Mr Evans acting as Blaine's guardian while his parents were away.

Seeing Rachel staring in the direction of Mr Schuester's old office, he walked over to her, a quick glance telling him that Noah was talking to the Daddies Berry. "It's still locked up until all his belongings are collected. Sue and Emma boxed them up. They are planning on turning it into a multipurpose room for us," he told her.

"I thought that one of them would maybe move into it," Rachel replied quietly.

"They both like the offices they already have and thought the space could be better used. Tina and Kurt are already working on the new layout."

"That will look great in their design portfolios and no doubt they will do an awesome job. Just like with this room."

"Less chat, more paint and glitter," Brittany interjected herself into the conversation. "Although, Blaine, I still do need to get all your contact information for Sue's secret files."

"Secret files, Britt?" Blaine asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"I've already said too much. Seriously, it's glitter time!" And with that, the bubbly blonde guided them over to where trays of paint in a multitude of shades waited. "It feels cold and slimy on your hands, but see what pretty, sparkly prints it makes. See?" Brittany pointed to where she had left her mark, her name written underneath it. Half an hour later, the tree was complete and pictures of the club had been taken by their proud parents.

Helping to tidy the room and listening to the jubilant and carefree voices of her friends, Rachel let out a contented sigh.

"Star?" Hiram asked.

"It feels so right, all of us being here again. I can't explain it, but I just know that we're going accomplish something special here."

"I think you are right, Rach."

"Where did Dad and Sue get to?" she enquired, but before Hiram could respond, Emma once again called for everyone's attention.

"I really hope that you have all enjoyed the afternoon. It is my privilege to invite the New Directions to perform for all of our guests, and to welcome Rachel back with this special song." Taking a seat between Hiram and Sarah Puckerman, Rachel watched as the club took their places, Noah sitting at the piano with no sheet music in front of him. A haunting melody filled the room before Noah's voice sang the first verse. Rachel listened, her eyes locked on his, the lyrics poignant and so personal that she knew that this was another of his compositions. Slowly, the song built, new voices joining in, each harmony increasing the intensity of the words being sung. Rachel was enthralled by the passion in Noah's eyes, by the words he had written for her, for them.

"_And if you forget the way to go,  
And lose where you came from,  
Just know I am standing beside you.  
Be still, be still, be still,  
Be still and know that I'm with you.  
Be still and know I am."_

The message itself was simple, but its delivery was breathtaking and all watching knew that this was a moment of magic that few were ever allowed to see. Rachel didn't care that tears kept escaping on her; there was scarcely a person in the audience who had not been emotionally affected. All Rachel wanted was to freeze the moment, to memorise every last detail and carry it with her always. She made a promise to herself that she would ensure that Noah's gift was recognised; that none of her friends' talents would ever be overlooked again and that nothing would ever be allowed to keep any of them apart.

A hush fell as the song ended, and there was the smallest of pauses before Rachel jumped to her feet, her example followed by the others. While they gave the club a standing ovation, Rachel ran to Noah; the teen had stood quickly when he saw her move and so was able to catch Rachel in his arms. "You're amazing, Noah," she whispered in his ear. "I love you so much, never forget that."

"I love you too, Ray," After placing a tender kiss on her lips, he gently lowered her to the ground, but when he went to take her hand, Rachel moved until his arms rested lightly around her shoulders. There, cradled in Noah's embrace, watching her friends and family, she finally felt the peace she had been missing. Rachel knew that, no matter what had been lost, no matter what the future held for them all, they would all take the journey together, striving for the greatness that was waiting for them.

**A.N. I really hope that you all enjoyed this last chapter, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming on this journey with me. **

**I never thought that something I wrote would ever get so many loyal readers, but that is exactly what happened. Everytime I get an email to say that there is another review, or follower, or favourite, I act like a small child, it is that exciting to me. It is due to your support that I kept writing, even on days when I felt as if the muse had left me, or the plot bunnies would not co-operate. So again I say a very heartfelt thank you to each and everyone of you.**

**'On-Eno' : Thank you for your prompt, I will definately see what I can do about it. :) **

**Just in case any of you were wondering the song that Noah sings is called 'Be Still' by the Fray, and the first time I heard it I just knew it was perfect for this story.**

**So for the last time I would ask you to let me know what you thought, not only of this chapter but also the story overall. If there is something you really liked/disliked please get in touch. Or maybe you have a story idea for me, then please feel free to send a PM. **

**I do plan on writing more stories within this universe, so for future reference if you see this: 'ATLF' , in the story summary then it is related to this particular fic. Hope this all makes sense ~Carrie **

** P.S. Puckleberry Forever ;)  
**


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